Ethereal
by crystalline talisman
Summary: After being kidnapped and brought to the Volcanic Islands, the siren Katara finds herself at odds with the perils of the Dragon Court and its ruling family while Crown Prince Zuko faces the crumbling façade of stability in his home. AU. Zutara.
1. Prologue: The Glacierlands

**Full Summary: **When Katara is kidnapped and brought to the Volcanic Islands by the Dragon King's orders, she finds herself in a radically different world from her protected and ancient lifestyle, especially when she is thrust into the Dragon Court's politics. It isn't long before she's at odds with the unpredictable Descendants of the Dragons, and Crown Prince Zuko is challenged by the ethereal nature of the siren while the Dragon Court's façade of stability slowly crumbles away. AU. Zutara.

**Author's Notes: **This story is something new for me, as I haven't written fanfiction in quite a long time, and it is an alternate universe fiction. It is somewhat inspired by Greco-Roman mythology, but the vast majority of it - like a siren - is based on my own creative license. That being said, the story doesn't require anyone to read _Homeric Hymns_ or Ovid's _Metamorphoses_ to understand the story, but do keep in mind some of the unexplained or mysteries may be part of the story I want to tell and I will work in the parts that are relevant. It is rated T primarily for language, violence and certain themes (there will be no explicit gore or sex). If anyone has any questions, please let me know and I hope you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Without further adieu, I present my new project, _Ethereal_.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Ethereal**

Prologue: The Glacierlands

_"In the beginning, there was nothingness, and that nothingness was Chaos. But from Chaos came Order. Order established the Heavens, and then came forth the Gods. And the Gods decided to create a world other than their own Heavens, and so the Planet was born through the only act of unanimity of the Gods." – The Creation, 1:1-2._

* * *

There was always something soothing about the water, or so it had been for Katara, and so it should be for someone like her. As she combed her fingers through her long and tangled hair in a clouded mirror, she wondered how anyone could possibly not like the water – water was the fountain of life. Her and her people were entrusted by the gods at the Creation to protect water.

The Creation was a story Katara knew by heart, and she told it to all the children in the village once they were old enough to retell the story; it was not only their history, but also the history of the world. She had memorized the pages of the book, and each of the engraved drawings in its heavy, solid gold pages. It was encased in glass and kept in the center of the palace. When she was younger, it would take her, her brother, and another young boy to turn the pages. She never tired of the pages, but she longed to see the illustrations with brilliant colors. Often her mind wondered if the endless Earthlands or impressive Windmountains had colorful pages in their versions of The Creation.

A few beams of light trickled down into her room from the skylight, and showed no signs of dissipating any time soon. With summer coming, it would be soon that there were days without the moon. Those were dangerous times for her people, and she would be forbidden to leave the palace grounds; but those were the times she longed to feel the sun on her tanned skin and the salty breeze flow through her hair.

"Katara, if you brush your hair anymore, it will fall out," a young girl smiled and took a seat beside Katara, then began gazing into the mirror. "I know you love the mirror, but really, it's so dreadful. You should get rid of it."

"It's the only mirror in the entire Southern Glacierlands – I won't just dispose of it because it's not pristine, Bing Xue" Katara said to the other brunette who had her hair piled on top of her head. Katara began weaving a braid into her hair, "Besides, it makes braiding my hair easier."

"Ah," Bing Xue laughed a bit at her stubborn acquaintance then said solemnly, "You know, tonight's the night of the celebration of the Ocean and the Moon,"

Katara nodded, going to tie her mother's necklace around her throat before giving herself the once over in the mirror. "I know."

"And I know you don't like celebrating it—" her friend continued. Katara got up quickly and moved away from the mirror and towards the entrance to her room. It would seem this year it was Bing Xue's turn to convince her; the previous year, her grandmother tried, and before that her father, and so on and so forth.

Katara ran her fingers over the polished stone of her single piece of jewelry. "I wish you would respect my decision not to participate, Bing Xue. I thought you of all people would understand why I don't wish to partake in such an archaic festival."

"Katara, I understand after what happened to your mother, but we need you to help. This festival helps us feed for the summer season when the sun wanes and we can no longer hunt. We will go thirty days without sunlight – you're nearly seventeen, you know we need you to help. The first girls go on their first hunt when they're thirteen. You were given four years of grace to not participate, but you will have to one day, and with the way autumn has been—"

The brunette sighed in defeat. "What if I go, but don't…participate entirely? What if I just watch?"

"It's better than sitting here and staring into a mirror that you can barely see yourself in."

Katara nodded a bit, hugging herself for comfort, and turned away from her friend as a tear rolled down her cheek. "I'll go."

* * *

"Men, these are dangerous times to be at sea," a man in his late fifties, who seemed to be commanding the ship, warned his crew as his ship glided across the sea. Night had come and it seemed as if the ship's disturbance of the water was the only thing that distinguished the night sky from its impeccable reflection on the surface of the sea. "You never know what can happen at night."

An younger man in his early thirties stood at the railing of the ship, watching the ripples in the water before stepping back. The cold wind cut across his face, and he began wrapping himself in a spare blanket. "You know," he said to the captain, "Sometimes, the worst thing that can happen is you find what you're looking for." The king had sent them on either a fool's errand or a suicide mission, and either way, the man was not looking forward to the potential – and likely probable – results.

A soft, but faint sound cut through air, and then was followed by a splash in the water. "We're getting closer," the younger whispered, barely audible. "But they'll never come close enough if we're in this ship; we have to take the rowboats out."

The captain nodded and instructed a few of his men to board the smaller vessels and start paddling around in the deep, dark water. "Keep your eyes and ears open."

_Silence_. If a single drop of rain fell from the sky and hit the ocean miles away, it most likely would have been heard. The commander was certain he could hear the sweat rolling off the rowers' faces, and the pounding of their hearts from fear. It was the Ocean and the Moon festival; it was the deadliest time of the year to be in this region.

"There! I saw something!" A young deckhand pointed in the water. He turned quickly to look, but did not even see a small school of fish passing by.

"I heard something now!" Another shouted across the water, whipping around anxiously and clenching his sword to his chest.

"Steady," he warned. "The king has faith that we can accomplish this task, just remain steady and don't panic." He didn't even believe what he was saying.

Then he heard it.

He strained his ears to hear the soft sound he was listening for; it was barely audible at first, but then it began to pick up. Yes, there it was. It sounded almost like an angel.

A pair of eyes appeared from the icy water, followed by a nose. Her skin was bronze, her eyes almost silver, and her hair was pulled back in several small braids with silver cords weaved through it. She was singing a song in an ancient language, forgotten by most landwalkers – it was the ancient language of the gods.

Already, the men in his rowboat were captivated by her; she was more beautiful than any of the maidens they had ever seen before. Even the captain desired her, and it was uncommon he paid great attention to any woman that was not his faithful wife. He shook his head to dismiss any thoughts, but the idea of this beautiful woman, so young and flawless, lying beside him was gnawing at him.

He cleared his throat, "Servant of the Seas, do you speak my language?"

She nodded a bit, slowly coming forward and trying to watch the movement of the soldiers. "Do you find me beautiful, sir?"

"I speak for all my men when I say we find you ravishing," he admitted. The captain found it hard to maintain focus while this girl gazed at him. Focus, he reminded himself, and get what you really came for. "What is your name, enchantress?"

"Adine, sire. And do you," she looked to a young boy, barely sixteen, "find me beautiful? Would you want me as your bride?" her head sank slight into the water, just covering her full, pink lips.

He nodded, shaking so much he could barely speak. "I-I-I-I th-thought yo-yo-your s-s-s-ong was so beaut-i-i-i-ful," he stammered.

"Shall I sing you another?" she offered, sitting up quickly in the water. "I wish to sing my most beloved and favorite song of all the land!"

The aging captain noted she was almost within range as she slowly inched forward, but was suddenly more interested to hear this beautiful song she was going to sing for them. "Please, fair maiden, grace us with your song."

She smiled, coming right beside the boat and starting to sing a song in an ancient tongue, soft and slowly. She gripped the edge of the boat and began lifting herself out of the water, running her hand along the cheek of the young boy, and then tracing her finger down his neck to his chest. In a matter of seconds, her grip tightened on the slack of his shirt and she moved backwards to pull him into the water, her face contorting into a wicked expression. The young boy screamed, begging his shipmates to help him break free.

"Get the nets! We need a siren!" the man shouted, trying to throw a net around the bold creature who had approached their boat. All feelings of lust had vanished with the adrenaline that was coursing through his blood.

The woman was gone, however, pulling the young boy down deep into the seemingly endless abyss of the ocean. In a matter of seconds, another siren had gripped the edge of the boat and grabbed another sailor by his leg to drag him into the water. They were surrounded by these seductresses, and it would be a miracle if they escaped with their lives - let alone with a siren as a prisoner.

* * *

The captain climbed the side of the boat and hoisted himself over, before going to help another man climb back onto the boat. "Are we ready to hoist the filthy demon up?" He began pulling the rope in synchronization with the other shipmate to lift the heavy boat with a passenger to equal level with the side of the ship.

He and the shipmate climbed the side of the ship and the shipmate climbed inside the boat to grab the struggling prisoner restrained by ropes and knots and tossed her to the captain as if she were a box of cabbages. "Let's put her in water before she dries out completely and dies," he muttered, almost wishing her to do so anyway to compensate him for the loss of half his crew, and opened the water tank. It was made of glass from the northern Windmountain glassblowers and reinforced with steel, then filled with water to the brim.

She pounded her fists against the glass, pleading with her captors to let her go. They stared at her, as if she was some sort of freak, or prize, or both. The brunette began pulling at the ropes wildly, her braid coming undone, trying to free herself and eventually conceded to sinking to the floor of the tank and hoping they would arrive at their destination soon. Katara ran her fingers over the smooth stone of the necklace she wore, trying to find comfort.

There was none to be had on the carrier ship belonging to the Dragon King.

* * *

_Posted: 04/13/2012_


	2. Chapter 1: The Port of Maizuru

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 1: The Port of Maizuru

"_And so the Moon fell in love with the Ocean and carried on a great affair when the Sun had gone to illuminate the other side of the Planet, and from Their love the first Siren was born. She was more beautiful than any creature, but when the Sun discovered Her birth, He cursed Her with a dark side for His wife's infidelity. This darkness would cause Her to turn wicked and devour men who would seek to do Her harm." The Creation, Chapter 17:2-4_

* * *

Katara watched as the sun began to creep over the horizon. The water from the tank she was being transported in was filthy and an impressive amount had evaporated from being under the unyielding gaze of the sun. She often wondered if the god of the sun rejoiced in seeing her suffer.

Her thoughts were interrupted as someone began rapping on the glass with the hilt of his knife. "Wake up you filthy fish whore," the semi-toothless deckhand rasped at her. She narrowed her deep blue eyes at him and moved away from the side of the glass case he was knocking on. "And I suggest for your own well being you show a hint of humility when we present you lest you desire to be executed immediately."

"Lin, I recommend you attend to your chores at once. The deck floors will not scrub themselves," the captain chided before looking at the girl trapped in the glass prison. It seemed a crime to keep such a beautiful and wild creature trapped in a cage; it went against much of his upbringing – but what the Dragon King wanted, he received. And he wanted to be the only monarch with a siren in his court. What he planned to do with a half-human, half-fish, the captain could only imagine.

He narrowed his eyes at her then cleared his throat and said, "We will be arriving at port soon."

Katara glared at him and began to hiss, slamming her fist on the glass in protest before opening her mouth to unleash a rather impressive collection of expletives in the ancient language. He sighed in defeat, and then walked away back to his quarters to change into his finer uniform in order to make himself more presentable for the king. He wore the suit only for when they set sail and when they arrived at port so that way it would not reek of the ocean, fish, and his rather hygiene-deprived crew.

Within the hour, they would be arriving at the Earthland port just north of Kyoshi, and he would be as far away from the siren as he possibly could. Why the Dragon King so desired a siren was beyond his understanding – these creatures were beautiful, but cursed with a dark and dangerous side. He had lost eight men on this excursion to capture one, including the young sixteen year old who had been put under the siren Adine's spell.

A knock came to the door, "Captain, we're nearing port. The General is coming aboard to monitor the transfer," his first mate informed him.

The captain gave a confirming nod, then finished dressing and began clearing his quarters for the guest. The General was brother to the king, so it was important to make a good impression in order to ensure he and his men would be compensated fairly for their daring efforts. He stepped outside once his preparations were complete, and just in time to meet the General stepping aboard the ship.

"General, it is a true honor to be in your presence," he bowed his head slightly. "Welcome aboard the _Flaming Arrow_."

The General moved back his hood and bowed his head in return. "Your hospitality is greatly appreciated. Show me the siren now, please."

The captain led the older man over to the glass prison, where Katara was shielding herself from the sun without much avail. "This one is spirited, but the glass container has been very successful at keeping her contained."

"This water is filthy, have you changed it since you captured her?" The General began walking around in circles, eyeing the young girl in the container as if he were sizing her up.

The captain shook his head. "While we were able to capture her, it was quite a feat. I lost many men to the sirens, and I feared losing another if we were to remove her from the glass."

"Well, it won't do. Change the water immediately. And give her something to brush her hair with, she is a lady and should look presentable." The General leaned in to examine the only piece of adornment around Katara's neck. "She is very unique."

* * *

Changing the water had been a great feat for the men on the _Flaming Arrow_, but once it was complete, the tank containing the waterborne beauty was placed on a cart, covered with a huge cloth, and wheeled down onto the deck. They were in the Earthland port of Maizuru.

Maizuru was the port-of-call for the majority of the Southern hemisphere; it was a bit more difficult to navigate in and out of due to the narrowness of the bay, but the island of Kyoshi had closed its entry after a disagreement over whether it was Earthland or Glacierland jurisdiction. The village was a fifteen minute ostrich-horse carriage ride, and truth be told, it was small and not nearly large enough to handle the volume of travelers passing through. The majority of people simply docked at Maizuru, replenished its supplies, then continued towards its next destination.

One woman, with dark hair and a tattoo on her upper left arm, was barking orders at a young man before wheeling around and examining Katara's prison. "Interesting import you got there," she lamented as she placed a hand on her hip. "What's underneath the Volcanic Island cloth?"

"This is a diplomatic pouch," the old man from before, the General as they called him, said. "We are just transferring this from the _Flaming Arrow_ to the Dragon King's main carrier vessel for transport to the capital."

"You people from the Volcanic Islands sure love your diplomatic jargon," she mumbled, motioning him over to a podium with a log book. "I'll need the signature of the captain of the _Flaming Arrow_, the captain of the Dragon King's vessel, and a payment of six silver coins."

The captain of the _Flaming Arrow_ scowled. "Six silver coins is an outrage; it's been three coins in the past."

The woman crossed her arms and placed one hand on the whip coiled on her left hip. "In the past being the operative clause. You're both holding up two decks in my port, and the 'diplomatic pouch transfer' is going to be slow and laborious since the Dragon King's vessel is too large for my port and requires us to ferry it out. It's incredibly inconvenient. I think six silver coins is beyond generous, but now that you're making me sit here and explain things instead of running my port, it's going to be six silver coins per ship, and four bronze coins for the ferry. Would you like to continue haggling?"

The captain frowned. "You're a pirate," he mumbled.

"I prefer the term business woman," she said cooly, signing her name where it was required, then looking up. "Now, do you require any transport to the main village, or is that all?"

The General opened his mouth to answer when a man called, "June, we've got a stowaway! It's the arsonist from Kami!"

June whirled around, putting her two fingers in her mouth and whistling as she pulled her whip out. She climbed onto the shirshu and turned to look over her shoulder at the travelers from the Volcanic Islands. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen."

The fugitive pushed a man out of his way carrying a barrel, knocking him over and the barrel's contents spilling all over the pier. June pulled the reins of her shirshu and hopped over disaster the alleged arsonist was leaving in his wake.

"Watch out!" The suspect shouted, running in the direction of the men representing the Dragon Court. He ran towards the cart where Katara's prison was resting and ducked behind it, trying to avoid the paralytic tongue of the shirshu. "I didn't do it," he pleaded. June didn't seem to think twice about his pleas because in a matter of moments the shirshu thrusted its body towards the fugitive's shield. The man tried to run, but June's shirshu launched its tongue out and paralyzed the man in his tracks. She slid off her mount and grabbed the fugitive, dragging him away.

"Get this piece of trash off my docks, and find out what the bounty is," she ordered, then paused as she heard a crunch of glass under her foot. "What the hell?"

The General had cast aside the protective cloak over the tank, and had flipped the young girl over. Her tail was writhing about on the deck, and it went from an intense sapphire to a dull grey. She was gasping for air, and her soaked hair clung to her limp body as she tried to reach for the water. "Please," she begged in her language. "W-w-water," she stammered.

"Does anyone understand what she's saying?" The captain of the _Flaming Arrow_ asked.

"Water," the hooded figure muttered. "She wants water." He went to lift her from the puddle, pulling the cloak with the Volcanic Island insignia around her body like a blanket. Katara rolled her head around a bit, catching a glimpse of the figure that had grabbed her. His face was mostly shadowed, but when the sunlight peered through the clouds, she saw a pair of amber eyes.

The golden eyes cast downward at her momentarily as someone exclaimed, "What the hell is he carrying?" Then everything went dark.

* * *

When Katara opened her eyes, she was in a small room with an open window. The curtains were slightly tattered and billowing with the wind. She tried to pull herself up when an arm touched her shoulder. "No, no, you need rest." Her eyes darted over to meet a pair of gentle ones. "You had a bit of an accident."

She sat up quickly, going to pull the blankets over her body. Words, Katara, she reminded herself, use your words. "Where am I?" she mumbled in her native language, looking around. The walls were a soft tan, and the room was dimly lit by candles. Her eyes flickered back to her guardian. "What happened?"

He looked a bit sternly at her. "I'm afraid I don't understand. Do you speak my language?"

She thought for a moment, her eyes searching her surroundings still before she nodded and said weakly, "I can."

"We're at the village near the port of Maizuru. Your transportation was broken by a suspected arsonist. We brought you to a healer to make sure you were well before we transported you to the Volcanic Islands," he explained slowly. "However, we must admit we were a little clueless. Few even believe sirens exist, and no one has any familiarity with the anatomy of one. There are some cuts on your body from the glass, but we've bandaged them and put some antibacterial plants on them. I've also got some tea brewed for you." He poured her some in a small cup and brought it to her dry, cracked lips.

When Katara reached to take the cup, she noticed her wrists were bound by coarse rope and lowered them down a bit before looking back to the man watching her. She soon recognized him as the man they called "the General."

"Some were afraid after night had come you would be hard to restrain," he said, tilting the cup slowly so she could drink some. Katara began coughing and wiped her mouth on her forearm, whimpering a bit.

"Too hot," she mumbled, slipping into her native tongue before switching back to the common language. "Water, please."

He turned around and returned promptly with a cup of water, offering it to her mouth. Instead, she took the cup in her fragile hands and brought them to her delicate lips, still coughing a bit as it went down, but feeling instantly relieved. After replenishing her body with her natural element, Katara soon became aware of the two shadowed figures standing outside the paper walls. One was female; tall and slender, and the other was hooded. They seemed to be arguing about something, but she couldn't hear them.

"We brought you some clothes, but I have a feeling they're a bit large for you. The tavern owner's daughter is rather...large-boned," he said, searching for the right word. "However, I suppose they will do. We're going to have the healer come back to make sure you're alright before we return to the port and sail for the Volcanic Islands."

"How long was I–" Katara began to ask.

"A few hours. Nothing tremendously serious; I can imagine your body is just fatigued from the travels." He poured another cup of tea and handed it to her. "This is snowbud tea; it has great healing properties. See if you can try to drink this cup."

She began to take a slow sip of the golden liquid when the whispering voices suddenly went up a few decibels. "Your carelessness not only greatly damaged an import for the Kingdom of the Volcanic Islands, you also defied the integrity of a diplomatic parcel. Just what kind of port are you running here?" A man, the shadowed figure Katara assumed, snapped.

"Oh, so she's an import? I'm sorry, I thought the Volcanic Islands didn't partake in slave trading anymore." The woman placed her hands on her hips.

"It's not a slave trade. And even if it was, slavery is not outlawed and even further - who or what I transport is none of your business."

"It's my damn business if you're using my port to transfer your 'merchandise,'" the female figure used air quotes. "Especially if she's being smuggled. Do you know how big of an international incident this little flimflam of yours could make? When it gets out – and rest assured, it _will_ get out – everyone is going to be up my ass for letting you just waltz through here without any documentation. This kind of poor trading practices is what caused Kyoshi to close its port. Next thing you know, Maizuru is going to close as well. What are you going to do then when there are no other Southern Earthland ports?"

The man shifted his weight. "Rest assured no other Volcanic Island ships will be docking here, and I'm fairly confident we account for the majority of your damned profits, June."

She shook her head and pointed a finger at him. "Why don't you take your aquatic fish woman thing, your Dragon Court circus freak-show, and get the hell out of my port before I throw you all into the ocean _paralyzed_." June turned on her heel and walked out, slamming the sliding door behind her shut.

The man threw the door open and threw the large brown dress in Katara's direction. "Put this on, we're leaving."

"But nephew, what of the healer?" The General asked.

"It doesn't matter, we have a medic on the ship. We'll take the siren there; it isn't like the siren is critically wounded," he tapped his foot impatiently and watched Katara as she struggled to pull the dress on. "For the love of – hurry up!" He quickly untied the knots binding her wrists together so she could pull the dress on, then tied them again tightly. Katara made a soft noise in discomfort and her eyes began to turn dark in anger. She looked up at him a bit and recognized him as the man from before.

"You're a Descendant of the Dragon, aren't you?" she said quietly.

He looked at her briefly, then rolled his eyes and looked to his uncle without acknowledging her question, rattling something off about telling the men to leave the tavern and get ready to set sail. The young man pulled the sheets back from Katara's lower body, then turned back to face her when he froze. "What.. uncle," he motioned with his hand for his uncle to come over.

"Are those," the older man raised his eyebrows. "Legs?"

* * *

_Posted: 04/16/2012_


	3. Chapter 2: The Southeastern Aurora

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 2: The Southeastern Aurora

"_When the Dragon first laid eyes upon the maiden, all He was captivated by her hair that seemed to mirror the light of His father, the Sun. He vowed to make her His, and upon doing so, the first Descendant of the Dragon was born. His hair was black as night, and his eyes were gold like the Dragon. And so the Sun was so delighted, He entrusted the throne of the Firelands to the Descendant of the Dragon." The Creation, Chapter 14:12-15._

* * *

The young siren found herself sitting on a cold, metal slab inside of the ship belonging to the Dragon Prince. A man had his arms folded and was speaking with the prince about something about healing, and some other things that Katara found herself uninterested in. Legs. She had legs. Granted, there were still patches of slightly grey scales on her otherwise bronzed legs from the transition, but nonetheless, they were _legs_. She didn't quite understand; she had never heard of any siren being able to go on land with legs.

Finally, the prince sighed a bit and walked out of the room, mumbling something about incompetence. Katara tried to stand to follow him, but her legs felt like jelly and she collapsed onto the ground with a thud. The man who was speaking to the prince turned around and grabbed her by her bound arms, jerking her upwards and placing her back on the metal slab.

"Foolish girl, you can't even walk," he sneered; his words were slurred and his accent wasn't nearly as refined as the prince's or his uncle's. It sounded like his vowels were drawn out and the ends of words seemed to drop off when he spoke. It could have been his dialect, but part of Katara assumed him to be a little drunk. "Now, let me get a look at your wounds from the glass."

His hands were large, clumsy, and slightly rough, and it seemed like it took a lifetime for him to pull the bandages around her arms off. When he finally managed to accomplish the task, he noticed, to both his and Katara's surprise, the cuts had vanished and thin, faint white lines remained in their stead. The medic scratched his right cheek with his left hand, seeming to be deep in thought. "Seems you heal quick, girl," he said. "The king'll be real interested to hear about that." He dipped his brush in some ink, then made a few notes in a book.

Katara looked down at her legs; she felt like some kind of exhibit and was suddenly very conscious of the fact she was nearly naked. The clothing she was wearing from the Maizuru tavern owner's daughter was large; it was also itchy, and hung off her body much like an empty burlap sack would. She crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lower lip to keep from tearing up, reaching to touch her neckl–

The siren looked around quickly on the ground, grasping at her neck to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. Her necklace was gone. Panic took over her body and she moved quickly off the slab, trying to see if she could find someone who may have seen it. However, no matter how much she wanted to, her legs were not ready. She collapsed again to the floor and the medic whipped around to see her on her hands and knees. She was trying to push herself up, but her arms gave out beneath her too.

"You stupid, freaki–" he began to curse.

"That's enough coarse language from you, Mr. Cho," the General interrupted quickly. "I think some fresh air and hot tea is in order for the lady."

Cho nodded a bit, and reached down to help Katara up. The siren looked at him, her eyes almost black, and hissed at him as he backed away suddenly. She crawled on her hands and knees to the wall and began trying to pull herself up when the General stepped over and put a supportive arm around her waist. She turned to give him a good glimpse of her dark nature but he touched her arm gently.

"It's alright; I mean you no harm. I only want to help you walk. Is that okay?"

Katara nodded a bit, extending her arm out towards the wall for support as she tried to pull herself along. "Outside?" she asked, her voice a bit strained and weak.

The General nodded. "Yes, we're going outside."

She hobbled along the inside corridors of the ship, noticing the superior quality between this one and the previous ship she had been transported on. This one was lit by torches every few feet on both sides of the hallways; the doors were heavy and metal, and long banners displaying the Dragon Court's emblem hung down between the torches. Placards were immediately to the left of doors, and had writing on them; Katara assumed they would translate to the name of the room on the ship but she was unable to read the intricate characters decorating said signs.

When they finally reached the stairs leading to outside, the siren felt even more fatigued than she had when she woke up in the village after falling out of her tank. The General noticed her exhaustion and motioned for her to sit down if she wanted. "We can rest here if you like."

Katara shook her head. "No, there. I fancy to be there."

"Alright," he said cautiously, helping her up the stairs slowly. Katara imagined that this was what it was like to teach a baby to walk; only she was nearly grown, and she was tall and heavy and old compared to a baby. Her legs finally gave way halfway through the stairs. "You will get stronger."

The siren looked outside longingly; she was so close to the ocean. If only she could walk, no – run. She could run to the edge of the ship and fall into the water and swim home. She had never longed so desperately for the cold waters of the Glacierlands and the colorful schools of fish that would pass through her room while migrating north.

"My name is Iroh," he said gently to her. The siren's cerulean eyes flickered back to the older man and she tilted her head, slightly confused. "A lot of people call me General, but you can just call me Iroh," he explained. She nodded a bit in understanding and he asked, "What is your name?"

"My given name is Katara," she said slowly. She had to think every time she spoke, because while she knew the common language, it was not her primary language. All sirens spoke the common language and some knew a few dialects, but those who did not interact and trade with those living at the Glacierland villages often did not gain a lot of confidence in the language. Katara admittedly was one of those sirens who remained secluded; she rarely spoke with others, and therefore the way she spoke the common language was rather archaic.

He smiled a bit. "So you speak the ancient language, correct? It's a beautiful language, though rather challenging. I wish I could have studied it in my younger days, perhaps I could converse with you. My nephew studied it briefly; he's not by any means fluent, and really I don't think anyone is, but he understands basic words, I think."

"Your nephew?" Katara still touched her bare neck, unadjusted to the feeling of her necklace not being there. "He is a Descendant of the Dragon; one supposes that you too are born of the Dragon as well?"

"According to legend, but no one really pays much mind to those anymore," he explained. "It is tradition to study _The Creation_ and believe in the Gods, but more people consider it more of a story of morals to live by, not necessarily facts."

She tilted her head a bit, "That appears rather... in jest. How can His Highness only select certain parts to practice?"

Iroh rubbed his beard a bit, thinking of how he could explain. "It's hard to explain," he admitted. "I suppose the difficulty comes with the inability for most of us to read the ancient texts. None of them were translated into our vernacular." After a moment he rose to his feet and looked at the young girl again. "Do you think you have the strength to make it to the deck? It's only a short walk. Then we'll have some tea."

The siren looked at the sky a bit longingly; oh, to be wrapped in the delicate light of her mother the Moon. Whenever Katara was afraid, she would swim to surface to let the gentle moonlight cover her like a warm blanket in the brisk wind. "I shall undergo it," she reached for the steel railing to the side of the stairs and used it to help pull herself up. The older man offered his hand to help her walk outside.

When she finally took a gulp of air from outside, it rushed into her throat and tickled her lungs. It felt like she hadn't breathed truly fresh air in seasons.

Later that night, she practiced walking around the deck, frequently stumbling as some of the rough waves would slam into the ship or if an especially strong gust would come through. She typically hugged the walls and railing for support, still unconfident in the ability of her newly acquired, or rather newly made present, legs.

* * *

Katara found herself to be more of a night person than any of the Volcanic Islanders. It was just before dawn when she had finally fallen asleep, and it was well after lunch when she stirred. Part of her was hoping it was just a dream when she heard the crash of the waves and the salty air tickled her nose, but it was too warm. When her eyelids flickered open, she sat up a bit, propping herself on her elbows and forearms. Her blue eyes scanned the dimly lit walls of her surroundings, which were decorated with tapestries containing the Dragon Court's insignia sewn into them. Katara sank back down into the bed in realization she was still imprisoned, releasing a breath of frustration.

The door opened slightly, and Katara turned her head to look at the opening. The contrast between the dark quarters she was in and the somewhat better lit hallway made it hard for her eyes to adjust, and she couldn't recognize who it was until she caught the amber eyes she had seen before. His eyes ran along the outline of her figure in the bed, then the figure moved to close the door behind him.

"Pardon," she called out in the common language. The door was still slightly ajar, though she could no longer see him. Hurry, she reminded herself, before he changes his mind. "Does his lordship know the hour?" He muttered something irritably and slammed the door shut. The siren sighed in aggravation and covered her face with her hands. Clearly, the people of the Dragon had no manners whatsoever.

A few moments later, a knock came on the door and it opened. Iroh stood in the frame and walked over towards her, offering his hand to her. "My lady, would you care to take lunch with me? It is quite pleasant on the deck today." The siren nodded a bit, then tried to move from the bed. "Slow and steady," he cautioned.

"I thank you," she said as she accepted his assistance in moving from the bed towards the doorway. "Pray tell if I may inquire as to why your nephew is so abrupt?"

"Ah, Prince Zuko is a complicated man. He seems to have remembered a bit of his studies from the ancient language, however. Perhaps I can get him to take his evening tea with us, and you can practice conversing with him." Iroh suggested.

Katara pondered the thought for a moment. "Do you believe your lordship can tutor me in the modern form of the common tongue? And the written word?" The siren looked at the older man hopefully.

"I will see if there's something we can do, but I can't promise anything. Now, please, enjoy some tea. This is one of my favorite teas; it's white peach and ginger — native only to the Volcanic Islands!"

* * *

Unlike the short days and long nights of the Glacierlands, it took several hours for night to come by. Nonetheless, Katara had passed as much time as she could on the deck of the ship, adjusting to the rareness of sitting in direct sunlight. Occasionally, it grew to be too much and she would stumble, or crawl, back inside until she was prepared to brave the sun again. She would grip the railing of the ship and practice walking while the older man would hold her hand; she concluded it was half concern for her injuring herself, and the other half was concern of her dropping into the ocean and losing the treasure he was bringing to his king.

When Katara would hide inside the passages of the ship, Iroh would read the signs to her, and show her the stroke order with his index finger. "Work your way from top to bottom, outside to inside, left to right," he instructed, watching as her clumsy fingers tried to mimic the patters. At the end of the day, she could trace "fire," "water," and half the character for "kitchen."

"Your writing system is vast," she whined a bit. "It would take one nearly a lifetime to be able to memorize everything."

"You will learn with practice," he assured her. "It is almost time for dinner now. Let's dine with my nephew on the deck." Katara, still gripping the railing inside the ship, slowly walked towards the deck. She was fairly certain he would be strongly opposed to the idea. The crew in its entirety seemed to avoid Katara; half of them looked at her with fear, and the other with lust. And while she couldn't decide which of those was worst, it didn't take long for her to realize that the prince avoided her like a leper. He had no intentions of being around her if he could help it.

Still, it would appear Iroh was much more persuasive than Katara could have ever imagined (something to do with threats of tea five times a day _plus_ pai sho games instead of just tea twice a day) because the prince was sitting across from Katara later that evening for dinner, albeit quite unhappy.

While Katara had originally thought the intricate writing system of the humans was a trifling feat, she was nowhere prepared for this unusually set of two slender rods called "chopsticks." The prince rolled his eyes as he watched her try to use them with both hands before he held his right hand up as an example. The siren tried to imitate the posture and attempted to pick up the crescent-shaped dumpling with her dining tool, but it took a good six or seven attempts before it finally stayed in the chopsticks... then fell back into the small bowl.

"Oh for the love of," the impatient prince mumbled, grabbing the chopsticks from her hands, picking up the dumpling, and holding it to her mouth. Katara looked at him hesitantly, slightly offended for his patronizing behavior. "If you're not going to let me help you then I guess you'll just starve."

"Prince Zuko, be polite," Iroh chided gently, then nodded at Katara. Go ahead, he seemed to say to her, and she opened her mouth partially, going to take a small bite.

"No, eat the whole thing," the prince shook his head at her. Katara opened her mouth a bit wider and took the entire dumpling in her mouth. It was warm, slightly spicy, and mildly salty. He dropped her chopsticks back in the bowl, then returned to his dinner as Katara wiped the corner of her mouth with her fingers. She reached to take a sip of water from the cup.

Iroh cleared his throat through the awkward silence, "My Lady Katara, it would do me a great honor to hear a story from the Glacierlands; the people from the poles do not much trade with the Volcanic Islanders, so much of their stories and traditions are not familiar with us," he explained. "Especially one from the sirens."

She looked up at the sky a bit, as a pattern of rainbow colors began to dance across the sky. The Southeastern Aurora. She waved an open palm over it, first beginning to tell the story as she had done so many times before in her native language, then pausing. Common language, Katara scolded herself. She cleared her throat, still looking at the sky, and began, "Once, before the Planet had seasons, there lived young hunter, son of a great chief. He was the most handsome man in all the south, and had been asked by many fathers to become betrothed to their daughters; however, he did not find one he found suitable. His mother prayed to the Moon, desperate for him to find a spouse, as she feared he would be remain unwed.

"The Moon adored this family, as they hailed from the Southeastern Glaciers, and the mother had always made great prayers and sacrifices to the Moon, so She asked Her husband the Sun if he would spare one of His beautiful Daughters of the Dragon. The Sun agreed and appeared before His granddaughter, telling her she was to become the wife of the great hunter of the Southeast. She traveled to find him, and when she did, the hunter instantly fell in love with her unmatchable grace.

"However, the other women of the village soon became consumed by avarice. They did not want the granddaughter of a God to have him. So they devised plots against her and passed a note in forged hand, requesting for her to meet on the far Northerwestern islands and bestowed a bewitched compass that would lead someone as far away from whatsoever the heart desired as one could be. Alack, upon her arrival on the isle, she quickly realized she had been deceived by the girls and was lost.

"She prayed to her grandfather the Sun and His wife asking for a way to help her return to her beloved. He and His wife the Moon turned the granddaughter and the hunter into two spirits, that when reunited, would illuminate the sky in the Southeast and Northwest to help travelers return home to their lovers."

Zuko had long since set his bowl down and was reclined back against the railing of the ship, his arms crossed as he looked up at the sky and watched the colorful lights move through the sky like waves. Katara smiled a bit, thinking of the story. How she longed for a lover like that.

"Your usage of colloquial speech is improving at an unexpected rate, Lady Katara; soon you will be commanding the language better than I. Regardless, that's a beautiful story for the lights. I would much like to hear more of your tales," Iroh smiled. "Don't you think so, Zuko? And perhaps she can practice speaking the ancient language with you; your father would be pleased to know that you haven't forgotten all your studies from the Royal Dragon Academy for Boys."

The young male shrugged a bit, turning his head away to look at the lights a bit, to which Katara looked at him curiously. She didn't understand this concept of moving ones shoulders to convey a message; she opened her mouth to ask when Zuko quickly replied, "I have the siren he wanted. I'm sure that'll impress him more than being able to speak a useless language," he scoffed. "Especially to tell a bunch of silly stories about lights and lovers." Katara sighed a bit and looked down.

* * *

Later that night, Katara was still sitting on the deck of the ship. Her hands were tied since she was neither in her room, nor monitored by the General. She wondered what her brother was doing; was he eating all the sea prunes in the area? Or perhaps the seals? She was sure he was probably throwing a fit since she was gone. And her father...what was he doing? And what of Adine, or Bing Xue, or even the young children she tutored? She wanted to read _The Creation _and give thanks to the Moon, and pray to her mother, and...

"Why are you being so agreeable? Aren't you sirens supposed to be deadly, especially at night?" The voice was male, but it didn't belong to Iroh. The prince looked down at her. "You try to learn our writing, and learn how we speak our language, and eat our dinners, and listen to our folklore. I don't understand it."

The siren looked out to sea. "I have a story for this as well, but, I have already surmised you have no interest in it," she said. Silence. She took that to mean affirmation, then continued. "In the veins of a siren runs water; we are half of water, half of moon. Water is an element of adaption; if a path is blocked, water will create a new one."

"You're foolish if you think that will save you," he said softly. "They're going to tear you apart." Katara suddenly realized he was afraid, but of something entirely different.

* * *

_Posted: 04/17/2012_

A/N: A bit longer chapter, but thank you for your patience; I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get some actual Zutara interaction going on. I appreciate all the reviews and comments I have received; I will do my best to answer specific questions as they come about the story, mythology or even myself, I'd be happy to answer it. Thanks for your support, guys. It will be a bit longer for my next update, but to sweeten the pot, I promise even more Zutara interaction next chapter. In addition, keep your eyes peeled; it will be a bit before I release my next fic, but there is a new one coming out soon based on Legend of Korra. I hope to get it up and running by May at the latest.


	4. Chapter 3: The Volcano's Crater

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

**A/N: **Thank you all for your patience... it's finals week for me, so I do apologize for the delay and length of time it has taken me to post this chapter. Your reviews are really inspiring, and I hope to not disappoint you. You guys are fabulous!

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 3: The Volcano's Crater

_"The Earth and the Sky created the Sun and the Moon, betrothing them to one another. When Man was born, the Sun gave Him the gift of Fire, so he may be better be Enlightened; the Moon gave Woman water, so She could extend Her Life. And as such, it was deemed necessary for the Two to work together, so They could ensure Life would continue." The Creation, Chapter 1, 32-34._

* * *

When Katara awoke the next day, it was eerily quiet on the boat. While she was rather isolated within the Volcanic Island carrier ship, she would still hear the crew barking orders or smell the burning coal from the helm inside the ship. She sat up slowly and swung her legs over the side of the bed; they were beginning to feel less heavy the more she adjusted to walking. Over the past couple days, she had become less clumsy but still found it difficult to walk on her own for extended periods of time.

The air was thick and humid, and it felt almost like breathing in water. The siren struggled to stand slowly, gripping the metal frame of the bed before rising to her delicate legs. She stumbled over to the porthole to see they were docked; the sun was high in the sky, and if she stood especially still, she could feel the gentle rocking of the ocean beneath her feet and hear the crash of waves on the rocky shore beneath them. In the horizon, Katara saw dark grey clouds promising a heavy rain.

As the heavy door swung open, Katara turned around to see the prince standing in what she assumed to be his full uniform. It was comprised of red plated armor with gold trim past his waist, and the clothes under his armor was black. He wore a cape that was fastened by a pin with a Dragon Court emblem and his hair was pulled up in a top knot. It was the first time she had also gotten a clear look at his scar; it marked the left side of his face, and the skin looked tired and worn almost like leather. She wanted to ask him about it, but discouraged herself from doing so.

He was holding a packaged wrapped up in paper and fastened with strings. "My uncle said you should wear this." He gingerly tossed it on the bed. "We're leaving in about twenty minutes. So, yeah." Zuko turned around and walked out, closing the door behind him and locking it tightly.

The siren stumbled over to the bed and pulled the strings apart to reveal something blue with a note on top, but sighed as she realized it was in the common written language system. She had no idea what it said. When she turned it over, there was a series of pictures showing how to wear the silk clothing. Her mouth formed a small "o." Help from Lord Iroh, she thought to herself as she pulled the itchy dress off her body and pulled the blue clothing up over her body. The sleeves were long, and the skirt dragged on the floor, but she did her best to pull her skirt up and tie the bow.

A few minutes later, a knock came on the door before it opened. "Lady Katara, does the dress fit?" She turned around to give him a good overview of it, his eyes scanning her a bit. "Well, the color most definitely suits you and I'm happy I wrote the tailor when we were in Maizuru, but it does seem a bit large. No worries, we will have the royal seamstress fix that later. The bow, however, is tied wrong." He said, motioning for her to turn with his fingers so he could redo it. "We will just be presenting you to the Dragon King today, then they will adjust your attire for this evening's banquet. To be honest, we were expecting you to arrive, well, in your more traditional form. However, this is a pleasant surprise."

Katara nodded, coughing a bit as he finished. "May I trouble you for some water?" She asked, her voice cracking a bit.

Iroh nodded and went to the hall to ask a guard for a cup. "I hope you're not getting ill," he said gravely. She shook her head bravely, though she was beginning to wonder herself, then took the cup from the guard's wary hands as he presented it to her.

Zuko stood in the doorway and looked between his uncle and the sea enchantress. "We need to go or we'll be late," he said.

"Of course, Prince Zuko. Tell me, don't you think the Lady Katara looks lovely today?"

The golden eyes scanned the girl from head to toe, then back up again before he shrugged. "I guess. Her kimono's too big though, and the bow is crooked," he said, looking in her eyes before turning around and walking out.

"Princes have insatiable tastes," Iroh joked. Katara just nodded silently and pulled her skirt up, wondering why he seemed to resent her so.

* * *

The Volcanic Island was comprised of a few large islands surrounded by many smaller islands, Iroh explained to Katara. The largest island hosted an enormous inactive volcano, and inside the crater was the capital city. In the dead center was the palace; it was magnificent, with walls built around it on all sides and the front entrance marked by two impressive dragons carved out of stone and adorned with jade and gold. He told her that the palace throne room was one of the most beautiful rooms he had ever seen in all his life and was only surpassed by the natural beauty of the Windmountain Temples.

The ride from the bay where the ship docked was several hours, as they had to travel from the beach to the crater of the volcano. While the sides of the volcano were not steep, it was more inland, and the path took them directly through the jungle. Iroh told the siren it had something to do with ensuring the safety of the capital from potential invaders, or something like that. Soon, Katara felt herself beginning to sweat and she wondered how Zuko could handle the heat under his armor.

She began feeling faint, and opened her mouth to ask for some water when everything suddenly became very hazy. Moments later, she opened her eyes to see Iroh using a fan to circulate air around her as she was propped up against a body - Zuko's torso. She moved to wipe her face with her right hand, suddenly realizing just how damp her skin was with perspiration. It was the first time she had seen the prince so close, and based the amount of sweat on his brow, she concluded he wasn't immune to the insufferable heat either.

"What happened?" she asked weakly, her lips feeling dry and her throat screaming for water.

The older man shook his head, "We don't know. You seemed fine one minute, then the next you nearly fell out of the caravan," he explained. "It must be all the heat; you're not used to it yet." He went to offer her some water to her lips, but more of the precious liquid rolled down her face and onto her kimono than went into her mouth.

"I'll do it," Zuko took the waterskin from his uncle and held it to the siren's lips, tilting it minimally. "Drink it slowly, or you'll get-"

Katara ignored him, and moved to let a cascade of water enter her mouth. It was cool and sweet, and she just wanted to drink all the water in the world - until a wave of nausea hit her. She jerked over to Zuko's side and leaned out of the caravan, coughing and relinquishing all the water from her system onto the jungle floor.

"You'll get sick." Zuko finished, pulling her hair back. "Is it just me Uncle, or does she look sick?" He held a small square of cloth out in front of her face and Katara took it, wiping her mouth and continuing to dry heave for a few more minutes. She finally moved to lean back against him again, closing her eyes a bit and still clutching the cloth in her hand.

"She does look a bit paler than normal," Iroh conceded. "Lady Katara, please look at me," he rubbed her free hand gently. The young girl weakly opened her eyes and sniffled a bit, looking at the gentle older man. "Her eyes seem a bit greyer than usual, but I imagine she's just exhausted and a bit dehydrated."

The prince nodded a bit, then held the waterskin to the lips of his father's gift again. "Drink slowly this time," he warned, and Katara obliged, letting him control the flow of the water. She learned her lesson the first time. "Proceed," Zuko instructed the driver as he watched over the young woman.

He was so close; he wasn't going to fail now.

* * *

When the caravan finally reached the entrance to the crater, Katara was thoroughly surprised. Part of her expected to see a dead, barren wasteland with petrified trees and magma everywhere. Part of her wasn't sure what to expect at all, but she had a feeling she wouldn't like it. She couldn't have been further from the truth.

The city, though built in the crater, was colorful and lively. Shops all around the city had colorful beads and jewelry hanging down from windows, while scarves, bolts of cloth, and beautiful clothing billowed with the occasional breeze. There were stalls all around selling food, and children playing a game with balls in alleyways while their mothers hung up clean laundry on lines outside. Some young girls were holding baskets of flowers with long flowing braids and had beads woven into their hair. Musicians and dancers were scattered all about, and the majority of people were carrying paper lanterns with dragons and characters painted on them.

She moved to sit up on her knees, her fingers holding onto the window for support as she gazed out and stared at the spectacles. Once, she had been to a Glacierland port to watch a trade between her father and another man. But the village was small. There couldn't have been more than thirty or so people. The capital had to have _thousands_ upon thousands.

She felt Zuko tug her back down to her seated position and he looked sternly at her, shaking his head. "Don't."

The young siren frowned a bit, but continued watching as others passed her, noticing a few young girls with decorative make up and paints on their faces. "What do you call this style of cosmetic?" Katara asked, tugging on Zuko's sleeve a bit as she pointed.

He put her hand down firmly. "Don't point. And it's called facepaint. Children do it for celebrations."

"Oh, it is the time of celebrating for your people?" She asked, looking around some more and noticing some people eating meat off a long wooden stick.

"It's New Year for us," Iroh explained. "Before a universal calendar was established, we had our own that was based off the moon. We now observe the universally recognized New Year, but we still celebrate our own in remembrance of our history. We are very proud of our history."

"Hm, I see. One would have presumed you would model your calendar after the sun," Katara remarked.

The General shook his head. "Though we trace our roots to the dragon and sun, we too need the moon. Just as sirens need the sun," he smiled. "Look," he said as he pointed ahead.

She turned to see a large wall of red and gold with impressive characters carved into its frame. Two stone dragons, just as Iroh promised, wrapped around the frame of the entrance and appeared to be breathing fire. Each was decorated differently with jewelry made from gold and and a greenish stone Katara assumed to be jade. While he kept true to his word, she couldn't have possibly imagined such a magnificent sight.

"What does the written word read as?" she inquired out of curiosity as they passed through the gates. She noticed there were several pools of water and a complex moat that seemed to cut through the grounds of the palace.

"It says, 'Dragon amongst the men,'" Iroh translated. "This has been the home of the Royal Dragon family for over eight generations."

The siren was so swept up in the majesty of the city she had forgotten what potential hell she was headed into until the doors of the palace opened to allow them in.

* * *

"Bring her forth," the shadowed Dragon King demanded. To his right sat a young, elegant woman in Volcanic Island uniform as well. Katara hobbled across the marble floor towards the base of the stairs where the king sat in a golden chair. Zuko held her tightly by her arm as he presented her. The king leaned forward and a small beam of light struck his face, revealing his hardened face and cold, calculating eyes. "I don't understand, she doesn't look like a siren. If anything, she looks just like some Glacierland plebian. How dare you defy me and bring this thing into my home. If I had wanted a slave, I would have sent you to just buy one."

Zuko seemed to cower a bit under his father's scrutiny; the usually outspoken and abrupt prince seemed like nothing more than a small child when his father was present. "F-f-father," he stammered slightly. "I assure you she is a siren, just place her in the water."

"Are you going to do it, or are you going to waste my valuable time with throwing out excuses and reasonings?" he demanded. Iroh stood off to the side quietly and Katara didn't understand how such a kind man could possibly be related to such a frigid man who didn't even seem to want his son back in the palace.

The prince turned to Katara and looked at her for a moment, then said under his breath, "Sorry." Before she could ask why, he pulled her up into his arms and over his shoulder and moved towards a deep moat of water that surrounded the outer ring of the court. In matter of seconds, Katara processed what was going to happen and seconds later she felt her body colliding with the water before she was enveloped by her natural element. She fought to pull herself up, water rushing into her lungs, and felt the heavy burden of legs fading. She looked down and noticed her former set of bronzed legs had transformed into her familiar shimmering mosaic of blues and the fatigue she felt from before had begun dissipating.

Before she had a chance to appreciate her surroundings, a hand grabbed her by her arm and pulled her to the surface to showcase her to the king. "Do you think a simple Glacierland peasant is capable of this witchcraft?" Zuko asked his father, bowing his head a bit in shame. The king raised his eyebrows a bit, then sat back on his throne.

"You have succeeded, my son. Welcome home," he said, then stood and exited the throne room. The young woman gave Zuko a wicked smile, then padded out of the room behind the king.

Iroh quickly walked over to the edge of the water as Zuko released Katara's arm and bent over a bit. "My lady, are you alright?"

She nodded a bit, "Yes, I fare much better than previously," she admitted. "Though I do feel quite uneasy about ruining such fine clothing," she looked down at the drenched, silk kimono. It clung to her body and scales, and the neat braid her hair was in had fallen out in places.

The older man shook his head, "It isn't of any consequence. If you would like, I'm sure you can stay here in this water for a while. The moat has a small tunnel under the throne that leads to the courtyards and essentially wraps around the palace all the way to the Blue Lagoon and all of it is enclosed by the palace walls," he explained. "You can't get to the sea from here, so the king won't object, I'm sure."

Katara thought for a moment, then nodded some. "Yes, but can I first get out of this attire?" Iroh laughed a bit and nodded.

"Sure, help me, Prince Zuko," he told his nephew as Katara lifted her arms a bit. Zuko, slightly spaced out, snapped back to attention and nodded as he helped pull the outfit off the young woman's damp body. Already, she looked happier and relieved to be in the water, in her _home_. Just like he felt relieved to be home for the first time in a long time. But still, something felt like it was missing and he couldn't put his finger on what.

"Come Prince Zuko, let the young woman enjoy her first moments alone in water and we'll go enjoy some tea," the General suggested, guiding his nephew out by his arm.

* * *

Katara had nestled onto the floor of the large moat in the throne room after Iroh and Zuko had left. She curled up and closed her eyes, finally relaxing before drifting off into a deep slumber. It was the first time she felt like she had actually slept decently since her imprisonment, until she saw flashes of her brother panicking in her home, and her father sending search parties out. Then she heard her mother fussing - no screaming at her: "How could you lose my necklace, Katara! It was all you had left of me!"

She jerked herself awake and stretched a bit in the small tunnel to the best of her abilities. That was enough sleep for now.

When she moved in the opposite direction towards the courtyard, she noticed the sky had turned a pinkish orange hue and the sun was beginning to dip beneath the horizon. Katara concluded she had slept for much longer than she had originally realized.

Then she heard a small quack. Katara sat upright in the water and listened closely; another one. "Hmm," she thought out loud before trying to navigate the forking waters towards the source. She found herself turning around and frequently going back in the direction she came from, or moving further away from the sound several times before she saw a tall tree and a small pond underneath it. A hooded figure sat the edge of the pond and was tossing small pieces of bread at the creatures.

"Is one even supposed to feed wildlife?" Katara asked, coming up behind the figure. A pair of amber eyes whirled around to meet her sapphire ones before returning his attention to his work.

"Mind your own business," he said coldly.

The siren frowned, using her arms to pull her torso onto the ledge beside the bridge behind him. Her luminescent tail dangled in the water and she pulled her hair to one side, beginning to re-braid it. "I mean no harm, sire, I just wish to ensure you are not-"

"I know more about turtle ducks than some wet fish bride," Zuko insisted.

"Why are you cross?" Katara asked, frowning some.

"Why do you talk so strangely?" he fired back.

Her face reflected hurt as she looked down. "I speak your tongue, but I do not claim fluency. It is challenging, you know," she defended. "It is hard to believe one is the nephew of such a gentle man as Lord Iroh."

"Don't you have anyone else you can go annoy? I have a headache," he sighed a bit.

Katara dropped back down into the water and glared a bit at him, her eyes starting to turn dark with anger. "No, I have no one here. Or have you simply misremembered how your people aprehended me from my home and brought me to this place?"

She turned to swim away when he called out, "Wait." The siren turned to look at him from the water when he moved towards the edge and reached inside his pocket, pulling out a blue strap with a smooth pendant on it. "I think its yours."

"You stole this," she accused, taking it quickly and going to clasp it onto her neck. Her heart was racing in relief as she recognized the piece as her lost mother's necklace.

"No, I didn't. The healer took it off in Maizuru, and my uncle told me to hold onto it for safe keeping," he frowned a bit. "Members of the royal family don't steal, water peasant."

"Then I suppose I owe you my gratitude," Katara said, her eyes beginning to fade back to blue. Zuko shrugged at the proposed idea before starting to stand when she grabbed his arm. "Wait, it would be rude for one to refuse my thanks," she protested.

He kneeled back down, wondering what she could possibly have to offer on such short notice. Only one thing came to mind, and he was thankful for the darkness as his face began to grow hot thinking about what a siren could possibly offer a man in gratitude. Then again, he had heard before sirens had keen eyesight in the dark that made even tigerdillo's seem in dire need of glasses.

Moments later, he found himself tumbling into the water beside the siren after a rough tug. "That is for your earlier treatment in front of the king," she stated as he surfaced. She was now in the water and her arms were folded.

"I can't believe you just did that," Zuko growled, coughing and spitting up any water that had forced its way into his mouth and lungs. "Are you a child?" he sneered, going to climb out on the edge. He suddenly became conscious of the heaviness of his clothing, and took off the cloak he was wearing followed by his boots.

She watched as the looming grey clouds from the distance began to roll in. Katara moved towards the edge of the water, resting her arms on the stones and then placing her head on her stacked hands. "Does it rain here frequently?" she asked.

He shrugged a bit, looking up to notice the grey clouds as well. "Almost everyday. Why?"

The siren turned her head a bit as he shrugged. "What does the movement of one's shoulders upwards signify?"

Zuko made a face. "Shrugging? It just means," he paused. "Well, it means 'I don't know,' but sometimes it means, 'I guess.' It's confusing. But you didn't answer my question."

"I have never seen rain, merely read of it," she said absently, looking at the sky when a bright flash seemed to split open the sky. A loud boom followed it, and Katara covered her ears. "What was that cacophony?"

He reached down and grabbed her arm, starting to pull her out of the water. "It's a thunderstorm. You need to get out of the water."

"Ouch," she fussed, trying to help herself out of the water as well. "Why must I get out?"

"Water attracts lightning; you're not safe in any part of the water. You could get electrocuted," he said as if she were a small child.

The brunette shook her head still as she tried to back herself into the grass and remove her tail from the water. "What is the meaning of 'ee-leg-tor-cute-dead?'" she inquired, looking at him dumbly.

"Electrocuted," Zuko repeated, a slight tinge of annoyance lingering in his voice.

"'Ee-lecture-cut-dead,'" she said back.

He sighed. "Never mind."

* * *

"Sokka," an older man, his eyes tired from reading, said to his son. "Are the ships ready?"

The young man nodded and holding a spear nearly his height in his hand. "Yes. We set sail soon. Suki wrote to me to inform that she heard Maizuru had an unfortunate incident at its port. Something to do with a 'fish woman,' and Volcanic Islanders. One of them fit the description Bing Xue and Adine gave us."

"Then I suppose we'll head there," the chief told his son.

"Do you think she's okay?" Sokka asked, his voice trembling a bit with fear.

The man inhaled a bit then exhaled slowly. "I hope so; I think if they really wanted to kill her, they would have done so here. Why waste the effort taking her to Maizuru?"

The young warrior nodded a bit, "I sure hope so. I'm just worried about her, well, drying out. Like Mom." Sokka said delicately.

"I know, I know," Hakoda said. "I am, too."

* * *

_Posted: 04/27/2012_


	5. Chapter 4: The Hidden Passages

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 4: The Hidden Passages

___"'The Son of a Siren is not a Siren; he is simply one of the Planet's Children. But the Daughter of a Siren may be a Siren, or a Daughter of the Planet. Both are important; Sirens protect the Fountain of Life, and Children of the Planet continue the bloodline of the Father Heaven and the Mother Earth,' the Moon told her children of the Great Northern Glacier. 'You must protect each other.'" The Creation, Chapter 18:3-4._

* * *

The storm seemed to last much longer than Katara originally thought; over half the night, lightning lit up everything and thunder sounded like it was ripping the entire sky into pieces. It felt like it lasted forever, and when she finally awoke, Katara had forgotten when she fell asleep - or even where. As she sat upwards, she became conscious of the burden land put on her body. While legs seemed so useful before, they seemed more like an annoyance than anything at this point.

It wasn't long before she found herself across from a grumpy prince who seemed to be anything but interested in her forced tutelage of the ancient language.

"It is not _kans_, but _kens__. Kens_," she explained, going to take a sip of water as her lips began to feel dry. "However, our use of the word 'to see' is much broader than yours. We indicate it as a word of understanding, of comprehension." Katara described, placing her index finger against the center of her forehead. "If I see something, I can both physically see it with my eyes, or I can understand it."

"We use 'to see' like that. You tell me something, and I may say, 'Yes, I see,' to mean I understand" he countered, leaning back against the tree for shade.

The siren frowned a bit. "No, no. It goes beyond that. Take the water here, I see the water. But I also understand it, I know where it comes from and its purpose. It provides me with life, and in turn, I treasure it by using the life it gives to carry out the will of the gods. Everything in nature comes from the gods; and in turn, we are able to carry out their will. That is what the ancient language attaches to our word 'to see.' Everything about my language serves the gods."

"Whatever you say," he grumbled and flicked a small pebble along the ground.

"Well, well, looks like your studying is going rather dimly, Zuzu," a female voice from a palanquin stated. "It doesn't even matter you have a native speaker teaching you, you're still beyond educating. Typical." The hooded woman snapped and the men bearing her on the palanquin carried her off towards a dome-shaped building.

Katara's eyes followed the figure until she stepped out at the entrance and walked into the building. "Who is she?"

"Don't worry about it," he shrugged and looked back down at the book. "Keep going."

Something about that woman sent chills down the siren's spine, but didn't fail to draw her attention to the fact Zuko was more astute towards her teachings about her native language. Either way, there was something terribly wrong with this place, and though she went along for the sake of humoring the gods and trying to understand their will, she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand being there.

"Siren, it's time to go see the healer," a guard interrupted, giving a rather sloppy and unmotivated bow towards Zuko. Almost all guards seemed to be rather nonchalant towards him where as they revered the other members of the royal family quite highly. It made her curious as to why. Maybe he's not so strict, she thought at first before quickly dismissing the ludicrous thought.

"Go on then, my father wants to make sure you're in good health. I am capable of self-study," he said a bit hotly, as if he was insulted by her hesitation.

"A-a-alright," Katara stammered and stood up slowly, starting to stumble forwards. He grabbed her arm quickly to offer a bit of support then looked away and let go of her even faster than he had reached out.

"Go," he snapped, getting up and walking away quickly towards a pond.

Ever since she had arrived at the palace days ago (Katara couldn't remember exactly how long it was, the days seemed to blur together), she had been visiting a man. They called him a healer, but Katara wasn't very sure what kind of healing he did. All he seemed to do was occasionally cut her hand and drain a bit of blood into a glass container, then bandage her hand and send her away. She would have normally protested to such a thing, but it seemed the only offered her the option of giving her blood voluntarily or involuntarily - and she would have hated to see the involuntary method.

* * *

If the palace was a maze that would take years for someone to learn to navigate, the hidden passages were a labyrinth that would take a lifetime to understand. Though she was considered a 'revered' guest, Katara was soon informed it was merely a ploy the Dragon King had devised to keep the court from worrying about any troubles from the Glacierlands. However, the siren was more concerned with how he seemed to be trying to avoid war; a man like him seemed bloodthirsty and eager for war.

"Come 'long, m'lady," the servant pleaded as she moved a tapestry aside. "General Iroh wants me to 'xplain the passage system to you so you can better serve the king."

The blue eyed girl began to follow the black haired girl as she started explaining, "See, my family's been servin' the royal family for generations. Since 'fore the palace was built. We knew the architect o' the palace 'n suggested a system o' passages n'order to help us get 'round the palace faster. Passages are noted by different kinds o' tapestries. There're black, gold, rose, 'n dark red. Black're passages that lead directly to the servants quarters 'n to where we do the laundry. Gold leads to the kitchen 'n dinin' halls, rose're the passages that lead towards banquet halls, baths, 'n generally any other kind of area that we may need to have access to. Lastly, we got the dark red tapestries. Those take us to the areas where chambers are 'n the king's war room."

The siren must have looked overwhelmed because the servant looked at her and gave a reassuring laugh. "Now, now, m'lady, don't you fret. Even I get turned 'round sometimes, so we have signs planted 'round to help us know what area of the palace we're in. See," the girl motioned to a papyrus parchment flattened against a wall and written in crisp, common language. "This'n says we're in a rose tunnel. To the left're the private baths of the Royal Chamber 23, which is the Princess Azula's chamber, 'n to the right'll take us towards an intersection o' a black tunnel. All passages intersect at some point, 'n be mindful no passage'll let you out directly into a room. You'll be near it only; this is to maintain privacy of those residin' there."

"Wei Lin," Katara interrupted quietly. "I cannot read your language, I regret to inform you."

"Oh, beg your pardon, m'lady, I wasn't aware. Well, that's not much o' an issue. Most o' the folk here can't read neither. My parents worked extra hard to get me tutored in readin' 'n writin' when I was young. Anywho, if you look beside the writin' you'll see some pictures. See, a water drop? Water drop means baths. Bed means chambers, fire means kitchens, bowl means dinin' hall, so on 'n so forth. Only thing you'll need to learn're the numbers, but that won't be too bad. I hear you're tutorin' Prince Zuko in ancient language studies, maybe he'll teach you how to read numbers."

The dark skinned girl watched the light from torches along the passageway dance along the small sign and replied absently, "Perhaps he will."

"Well, if you'll excuse me, I got some things to do for Princess Azula after she finishes combat trainin', but I'll be back in your chambers this evenin' to help you get ready for dinner, ma'am," Wei Lin bowed before turning to go down a hall and disappearing into the maze of stone and dim light.

Suddenly, the siren felt a pang of frustration. This was unacceptable. They were treating her like some sort of slave, some sort of servant. And she was letting them, telling herself it was 'adapting to survive.' Disgraceful. She was a daughter of the Moon and the Ocean; men feared her, women longed to be her. So why was she acting like a small, helpless child? She was one of the most lethal creatures in the world. It was time she acted like it. There was plenty of water in the palace, if she could just climb into one of the canals and regain her strength she could show the Descendants of the Dragon the ruthless nature of a siren.

And you will probably die trying, her conscience seemed to nag at her. The Moon did not defeat the shadows who tried to hide her by brute force, but by cunning and wisdom. You must use what you have to win, Katara reminded herself. Yes, there was water, but the canals were too shallow and she could easily be overwhelmed and traced. But where was a source of water deep enough aside from the ocean? For now, she had been handed an advantage, as she had been introduced to a passage system the royal family was not acquainted with. And if Katara placed wagers, she would bet her life that there was a way to outside the palace from the passages.

The siren began to walk down the corridor, taking in the way the stone looked and wishing she had a piece of paper to map it out. She would have to remember to bring parchment and a writing device in order to do so the next time she came down there. Several servants passed her, some in small groups or couples and some alone, trying to avoid eye contact to the best of their ability. As she walked along the path, she suddenly became aware of voices.

"Nobleman Kong, I am fully aware of the state of the nation's finances," a heated voice spat.

The girl froze and stepped back as the voices grew briefly muffled in order to get a bit more clarity.

"Of course, Your Grace, forgive me. I was just wondering if there was anything we could do to encourage the Volcanic Islands to return to its former glory. We used to be one of the richest nations, and now we are struggling to pay-"

"I think what Nobleman Kong means to say, Your Grace, is that there must be some way you have planned to encourage prosperity among the islands again," another voice interrupted. She wished she could see what was going on, but then she would also run the risk of being spotted. It is better to be neither seen nor heard, Katara reminded herself.

She then heard someone step closer towards the wall and she held her breath. "Lord Sim, I don't recall asking for your interpretation of Nobleman Kong's lack of tact or respect for his king. Now, to answer your question, yes, I do have a plan. It involves-"

A hand suddenly clapped over Katara's mouth and dragged her away from her position until she could no longer hear what was being said. "Lady Katara, what in the name o' the dragon're you doin'?" a familiar voice asked. Wei Lin. A wave of relief crashed into the siren. "If someone else saw you doin' that you could get in a heap o' trouble. Come 'long now, let's get you washed up for dinner."

* * *

Dinner was actually a banquet of some sort. Contrary to what Katara initially believed, it seemed festivals and banquets were not that common under the Dragon King's rule. It was some kind of special occasion, and he wanted his greatest treasure - the kidnapped siren - to be there to show off to all the guests.

Though she was bathed, it was a very non-traditional bath, as she would be no use to the Dragon King if her legs were returned to her "natural" state. Instead, Wei Lin and another girl called Fan used strips of cloth to wash her body with as little water as possible, then put her head over a bucket to wash her hair. They ran a comb through it after removing the majority of the moisture with towels and rubbed different oils into her skin and hair. She slipped into a loose, thin piece of dark red clothing that tied at the waist with a gold sash.

A knock came at the door, and Wei Lin answered it before bowing lowly and stepping aside. "Prince Zuko is here to 'scort you to the banquet, m'lady."

Katara turned around to see him, dressed in a dark red almost identical to her clothing and covered by black plated armor. He seemed to be anxious about something, but she was unable to place her finger on what it was exactly.

"May I inquire as to the occasion?" The siren asked, stepping closer towards the doorway in which he stood.

"We're late, so let's just go," he mumbled, not really looking at her and going to walk down the hallway.

She began to follow him down the long corridors in silence, wondering if she would have been able to find the banquet using the passages, then decided it was best not to suggest it. You can't let your enemy know about the passages, Katara reminded herself, it's to your advantage if he's ignorant.

As they got closer and closer to the banquet, or so Katara assumed, she heard the faint sound of music growing louder and louder. Finally, she noted someone - a woman - standing outside the banquet hall, arms crossed and a bored look on her face. Clearly, this girl was disinterested in whatever was going on inside the room. However, a flicker of interest danced across her pale eyes as Zuko came into view, and Katara bitterly wondered how or why this prince would interest anyone to begin with.

Zuko approached her quickly and lowered his eyes to the floor a bit. "Sorry I'm late, Mai. Had to escort Father's treasure here," he explained. The girl nodded. Her hair was shiny and black and simply combed back, unlike the ornate style Katara had that was woven with small white flowers. Her clothes were black and gold and rather plain, but the quality of them seemed to be quite high. Her eyes flickered over to the siren briefly before back to the prince when she extended her hand.

"Shall we?" Mai suggested as he placed his hand under hers, then looked at Katara again. "Well, aren't you going? You're to be presented next."

"I?" Katara asked, a bit confused.

"Do you see anyone else here?" the tall noblewoman muttered under her breath.

The siren stepped towards the door, when the room grew silent and the entire crowd of people focused its attention on the daughter of the moon. She moved her hand to shield her eyes from the orange glow of the setting sun when someone finally pulled her away and whispered in her ear, "You're to sit at the small stone near the water ledge. The Dragon King demands you go there immediately so you may be admired by guests." Before Katara could process what happened, the faint sound of instruments began to dance in the background.

"May I present to the court Crown Prince Zuko and the soon-to-be Crown Princess Mai."

* * *

As guests began to retire for the evening, Katara was able to convince Iroh, who was coined her supervisor for the evening, to let her leave as well. She felt rather drained from all the attention, and she was hoping it would rain so she could soak up a bit of the moisture. She was still overwhelmed by the frustration that she was the king's human ornament to celebrate his son's engagement. Only dragons would have this sick of a sense of humor.

"Well, well, well, look who snuck out of the party. It's Father's little rock decoration," a cool voice stated flatly. "It's a miracle what those meager maids did with you. You look almost presentable, for a fish bride anyway."

Katara bit her tongue and tried to avoid eye contact with the princess. Her eyes flickered upwards for a moment to catch a glimpse of familiar seductive amber eyes. Instead of formalwear, the princess wore armor like her brother and had her hair up in a topknot as well with a crown placed in it as well. She was beautiful, but the siren knew better than most that beauty was a weapon in itself.

"Do tell me, how are my brother's studies going for your language? Is he as hopeless as he is at fighting? Zuzu is rather pathetic and most things; for the life of me, I can't see what has Mai so in knots about marrying him. He's rather dull company, right, Ty Lee?" Azula looked over her shoulder to her companion, a round-faced girl with large brown eyes and a pink kimono. Ty Lee giggled a bit at Azula's statement and nodded her head a bit. "You can run along now, I'm rather bored of you. But make no mistake, one day, when he has what he needs, Father will grow bored of you, too, and not even my fat uncle or stupid brother could save you. And I highly doubt they'd want to anyway."

The siren quickly walked off, searching to see a tapestry so she could avoid seeing the princess again. For every single bit of her that was cool, calm, collected, and sinister, Zuko was restless, anxious, and disturbed. The way she spoke of him was horrid; they were brother and sister. They should love each other and try to protect each other. She also came to the conclusion that it was Azula who was harassing him earlier that day during tutoring. The encounter left Katara with a terrible taste in her mouth, and she made herself a mental note to avoid Azula at all costs.

Finally, she came across a rose tapestry and pulled it aside, remembering that it was the rose tapestries that lead to the chambers. Or was it the black? A wave of anger crashed into the siren and her eyes grew a bit dark as she realized she couldn't remember and was ultimately lost. Perhaps if she just walked through the passages she would come across someone who could direct her to where she was staying.

But she didn't see anyone. All she saw were tunnels and tunnels and more tunnels and the back of tapestries and signs in some language she could read, and all she wanted to do was go home and be in the water and never see another man again - except for her father and brother.

The siren decided to give up on the passage and pulled aside the nearest tapestry, and smiled when she saw a steady rainfall to greet her. She stepped towards the open breezeway balcony and extended her hand out to let the water touch her. The rain was warm, but it was welcomed relief against the heat. As she began to close her cerulean eyes, she became aware of a dark shadowed figure near a pond - the same pond she saw him at the first night she was here.

Katara stepped out into the rain and walked towards the pond, quickly feeling her clothes grow a bit heavier as it absorbed the precipitation. "Does one come here every night to feed the duck-tortoises?"

"Turtle ducks," he corrected, barely above a whisper. "They're turtle ducks. And it's none of your concern."

"You need not be so defensive," she frowned. "I suppose I should also congratulate you on your engagement. Though it is interesting, in the Glacierlands, festivals for engagements and marriages last for days at a time. It is truly a wonderful sight."

Zuko snorted a bit, "Stop pretending to be nice to me, it's starting to annoy. I kidnapped you, doesn't that bother you? Don't you hate me for it? Instead you're congratulating me on getting engaged to some girl you don't know and talking to me about where you're from like you chose to be here. It's ridiculous."

Katara blinked, caught off guard by his statement. He actually had a valid point, and deep down, the siren did hate him for it. She did resent him, and his people, and everything. But she also felt somewhere, somehow he was a victim in his own way. "I am built to adapt."

"Adapt? Adapt to what? Imprisonment? I hate to break it to you, but you're going to die here. Alone." He stood and began to walk away, his fist shaking a bit with frustration.

For the first time since she had arrived, the siren stood, her eyes dark and her face bearing her curse. She reached out and grabbed the prince by his arm, whirling him around and planting him against a tree. Her hand reached out and grabbed him by the throat, pining him to the trunk. "You will listen, and you will not speak a word, Son of the Dragon. You are weak; the only reason you are alive is by the mercy of the gods. You underestimate me, your father underestimates me, your sister underestimates me - your entire race underestimates me. But I assure you, the one who will die alone is not me, but you -"

"Zuko!" a female voice called. Katara turned to see Mai sprinting towards Zuko. "It's - it's," she panted a bit, trying to capture her breath. The siren immediately let go of the prince and he ran to Mai, touching her shoulder and looking in her eyes.

"What is it, Mai? What's wrong?"

"Your father. He's - he's dead."

* * *

_Posted: 06/04/2012_

**A/N: **I do apologize for the delay in the releasing of this chapter. I was overwhelmed with final exams, then I was in Europe for a week and a half. It's been a crazy month, ha. I'm definitely not as far as I wanted to be with this story, but I promise to work on the updates and make them a little more consistent so I can get other projects released when I want them to.


	6. Chapter 5: The Sunrise Funeral

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

**A/N:** Since I am incredibly behind in this fic (I planned to be at least halfway through it by this point - how ambitious of me knowing how quickly it takes things to go awry in my life), I am making a double-chapter release. I could have made it a super long chapter, but it just makes the flow of the story weird and unnatural, so it's being split up so it's easier to digest and less wonky-looking. Chapter 5 is part 1, Chapter 6 is part 2. I've gotten some very positive feedback about this story and I just wanted to also say thanks. It's very inspiring, and it encourages me to continue writing. Please continue to review. It would make my week if I got 50 reviews before chapter 7! :) And if I do get to 50, I would possibly consider giving a sneak peak of the story I am writing for the Legend of Korra arc (indicate if you're interested in your review). Enjoy Chapters 5 and 6.

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 5: The Sunrise Funeral

_"'The only truth of Life is that every creature on the Planet will eventually perish. It is up to them to decide whether they shall rest eternally by the side of their gods, or burn in the Nine Rings of Torture.'" - The Creation, Chapter 7:98-99._

* * *

"What do you mean he's, he's -" Zuko stammered, shocked by Mai's revelation.

"Dead," Katara supplied.

Mai looked at him, her eyes expressing something unfamiliar to Zuko. Her hands were trembling and her hair hung limp to her body from the downpour of rain. He took a deep breath and thought for a moment. "How could he be dead? Mai, I don't understand."

"You must come," she took his hand and began leading him away from the garden. His eyes flickered over to Katara briefly before back to his fiancée pulling him back towards the banquet hall.

Opportunity, the siren reminded herself. It was the opportunity she needed; everyone would be distracted by the death. She couldn't have asked for a better time to try and flee. But she didn't even begin to know how to escape, and running blindly through the palace in hopes of finding an exit was nearly as dangerous as sticking around to see what would happen now that her main sponsor was dead.

"Lady Katara," a familiar voice called out. The siren turned around to see the elderly general making his way towards her, panting a bit when he reached her. "You need to come with me. I'm going to escort you back to your room. I've been looking for you everywhere."

"But is it not true your brother has passed? Should you not be at his side and that of your nephew and niece?" Katara asked gently, internally cursing her lack of haste to try and escape the area.

He looked at her, his eyes a bit sad. "It is true, but I need to ensure you are safe. I was worried something happened to you," Iroh explained. "Come along now. Let's get you back to your chambers."

"But," she began to protest. The general shook his head as if to indicate the discussion was over, and led her back to the covered awning of the walkway. He removed the cloak over his shoulders and draped them over her soaking wet frame.

Katara knew that she could easily overpower him, just like she had with his nephew. Somehow, someway, she had surprised Zuko near the pond and he was standing at the mercy of her fingertips. Zuko had youth on his side, Iroh did not. But part of her felt guilty about thinking of harming the man. Yet, all thoughts of fleeing immediately disappeared when she passed a large crowd.

As she walked by the banquet hall, everything seemed to slow down. The prince was pushing through the crowd, shouting at the guards while he broke through to move everyone aside. His black haired fiancée stood back a bit and moved to Ty Lee's side, releasing Zuko's hand as he knelt down and disappeared out of Katara's line of sight.

She could still see Azula, standing just in front of her friends, seeming to pace. Her hand covered her mouth, and her eyes seemed glassy. Were those tears? Did the cruel princess that threatened her barely hours ago show grief for her deceased father? Just when the siren was shocked by the fact Zuko - her angry, conceited, arrogant captor - had a fiancée who seemed to display true affection towards him, she was even more surprised by the princess.

"Lady Katara, we must keep moving," Iroh implored, pulling her by her elbow gently. She stood frozen, somewhat unaware that anyone was speaking her to begin with, and before she knew it, her legs were carrying her towards the audience instead of away. "Katara!"

"Get away from him, you filthy fish whore!" Azula abruptly grabbed the siren by her hair and shoved her backwards. "This is your fault! You cast some horrible curse on him! Everything was fine until that abomination disgraced this household! The House of Dragons are sworn enemies to the House of Sirens! I should have killed you the moment you set foot in our home!"

Ty Lee placed a hand on her friend's arm, trying to get her to release Katara. "Azula, shh, it's okay," she tried to comfort the distraught princess. "Come on, let's get some fresh air." The distraught princess released the siren, then shoved Ty Lee away and resumed her pacing.

Katara looked up, her hair slightly disheveled from the assault and looked to the young man. But unlike his sister, it wasn't a look of grief in his eyes; it was a look of panic, of realization. It was the look of a young man realizing he was now king.

"Get the siren out of here," he said, his voice low and husky. Amber eyes caught sapphire ones before the young woman backed away, back towards her escort. Iroh nodded at his nephew, then began to lead Katara away from the crowd.

"What will happen now?" she asked, her voice cracking a bit.

He released a breath, heavy with concern. "A funeral. An investigation. A coronation. A lot of things, Lady Katara. As uncle to the king, I must advise you it is not a stable time to be here. Many will blame you for the occurrence. However, I must also advise you that by no means am I allowed to tell you to escape, especially not during the funeral. If you are caught, the worst will be assumed and you will be executed. Do you understand?" His tired gold eyes looked into hers, conveying the message he needed to before he opened the door to Katara's room.

She knew what she had to do.

* * *

Katara didn't get out much over the next day and a half. For all intensive purposes, her tutoring sessions with Zuko had been suspended. Iroh didn't even come by to see her that much. The only company she had was Wei Lin, who came by occasionally to make sure she was fed and didn't require anything, per Iroh's request. It seemed the crown prince was more preoccupied by the fact he had an entire nation to rule, and Azula had already made her opinion on Katara's presence at the palace very well-known the night of her father's passing.

When late afternoon rolled around, the siren heard a knock at her door. It caught her off guard, and she licked her dry and cracked lips before going to open the door. Her sole ally stood in the frame, a hand rested on his stomach slightly.

"Lady Katara, I was wondering if I might inconvenience you for a late afternoon tea. It's senna tea, great for the digestion. It would help put my mind at ease over some troubling matters," he said gently.

She blinked a few times, then accepted, going to take his arm after he offered it to her. "What plagues your thoughts, sir?"

He shook his head as if to say, "Not here," then lead her towards a gazebo in the main courtyard where a board was set along with a tray containing a pot of tea and two teacups. He moved aside to let her sit, then took his place across from her. She moved her fingers to tuck her hair behind her ears as a small gust of wind passed through the gazebo and watched while Iroh poured the tea into the cups.

"Sir?" she repeated, looking at him.

"Are you sleeping alright, my lady? You look positively exhausted, and a little pale. The food is alright, right? You're not ill, are you?" he asked as a pair of guards passed by the gazebo, giving the siren a distrustful look.

Her eyes returned from the guards back to the pair of friendly golden eyes and she tried to smile reassuringly, "Of course. I am only concerned about your well being, sir. Tell me, shall we continue our lessons of pai sho today?"

"Yes, but first, I want you to translate this passage for me first." he handed her a black, leather-bound book. The cover was soft and well-worn, and it smelled faintly of volcanic ash and tea. Typical, Katara smiled a bit to herself as she ran her finger over the impression on the spine of the book.

"_The Creation_?" her blue eyes looked up eagerly. "Of course, I would be enchanted to discuss this with you. Pray tell, what passage shall I translate for you?"

He took another sip of tea before answering her, "I have it marked. You'll see."

The siren looked back down to the book, flipping through the pages and scanning in order to try and see the passage he was interested in. As she flipped through the book, her attention was drawn to a folded, crisp piece of parchment wedged between two pages in the center of the book. Unlike the faded and slightly yellowed pages of the text, it appeared to be fresh and new. She took it out carefully, looking up at the elder gentleman then back down to the page when he nodded at her.

"Sir, this is not -" she began.

"No, that's the one. Chapter 27, verses 13 through 18," he insisted, his eyes pleading her to play along.

She looked back down at the page. A drawing of some sort. It seemed to be freshly made, and was made of two different kinds of ink. One in a darker shade of black, and a very light ink that almost blended with the background. There was writing on the page, but it was all written in the common language. She could recognize a few characters here and there, however, such as the ones that comprised "baths," "kitchen," "flower," - oh! A map. It was a map of the palace. Actually, it was a map of the palace passages. But how did he - it wasn't important. There was a small red dot followed by a series of arrows leading through the passages to the western-most portion of the map.

It suddenly dawned on her. It was a map of how to get out.

"But why?" she whispered.

He inhaled sharply before exhaling slowly and going to refill his cup of tea. "Because I respect the gods enough to know not to insult the Moon or the Ocean by keeping their daughter away from her home."

"Tha-"

"Don't. After everything, it should be me thanking you for showing me mercy and not killing me, even when I deserved it for bringing you here." he interrupted. "You are an ethereal creature, you are meant to be free."

Katara quickly pocketed the map and book as a guard came by, then suggested they begin their game of pai sho. She had been practicing with him for quite some time, and although her more aggressive strategy was fairly weak against his thoughtful and more patient style, even Iroh had to admit she had become somewhat of a formidable opponent. With a few more months of practice, she could almost beat anyone. Almost.

When he returned her to her chambers, she went to hand him the book back when he touched her hand lightly. "No, no, it's yours. You should keep it. To remember me by."

"I will surely ruin it in the water," she objected, but Iroh shook his head.

"I still want you to have it. It deserves the respect of one who reveres it the way a humble siren does instead of a proud dragon," he smiled then leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Tomorrow. During the funeral at sunrise. And please make haste."

"Goodnight, sir," she said lightly, watching as he closed the door. Behind it was a small bag. She knelt down to examine its contents. Food, water, spark rocks, coins... and a knife.

* * *

A siren was strongest at night, when her mother the moon was behind her to give her strength. However, the funeral was at sunrise. While her people believed the spirit should be put to rest when the sun left the earth, it seemed the people of the Volcanic Islands believed oppositely. It would take all the energy she had to make sure she would be able to escape.

She sat on her bed, wearing clothes that she found in the bag. They were not nearly the same level of quality as the other clothes she had worn, but fine quality would get her caught sooner by drawing suspicion and they would not be as durable. The bag was sitting to the left of her, knife in one pocket, and map of the passageways in hand. As soon as she saw the lanterns against the sky, she would know it was time to go.

For a brief moment, she wondered why she trusted Iroh. What makes her think that this isn't a trap? But wouldn't it be easier for her just to wait here to be executed. It would be much simpler than planning an entire escape for her. And something inside her told her to trust him; she couldn't put her finger on it, but she just knew he was on her side.

There it was: the first lantern. It was now or never. Her heart was racing, palms sweating. Her legs felt heavy, and her lips were dry and cracked. But despite all that, she felt a burst of energy. She slung the bag over her shoulder and moved to climb out the open window frame. Just like Iroh promised, no one was there. Of course not - they were all at the funeral, trying to ensure the safety of their soon-to-be king and princess, not to mention maintain order.

Her back faced the open courtyard, trying to ensure that no one would suddenly burst through the door. So far, so good. If she could only make it to the passages, she would be nearly there.

Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth. Her instinct was to close her eyes and scream, but she fought the urge. A low, husky voice whispered in her ear, "Please, don't scream. I-I-I need your help."

* * *

_Posted: 06/06/2012_


	7. Chapter 6: The Smuggler's Hold

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 6: The Smuggler's Hold

_"In times of panic, it would often be seen that two opposed forces can join to create a perfect harmony." - The Creation, Chapter 4:19. _

* * *

His hand dropped and she whirled around to see familiar features; a strong jawline, almond shaped eyes, dark hair, and beautiful amber eyes. "Zuko," she breathed.

His eyes were wide with fear and his hands were trembling, holding onto her upper arms. "My sister, she - she set me up."

"I do not understand," her eyes searched his while her mind screamed at her to move. "What is 'setting up?'"

His grip tightened a bit on her arms as he hissed, "We don't have time, siren."

"Why should I trust you?" Katara's eyes began to blacken as she broke free of his grasp. "You could be lying."

"I'm not," he protested. "My uncle, he told me once the guards started searching for me to arrest me that you were leaving, and I needed to go with you. He said that you could help me out if I promised to protect and return you to the ocean."

Iroh wouldn't send his nephew to her if he wasn't trustworthy, part of her thought. He must really be desperate. But what if he was lying? What if he only suspected his uncle of helping Katara, and if she led him to the passageways, he would arrest her for trying to escape. Moreover, she was wasting precious time arguing with him. Any moment, a lone guard could pass by, or even worse, she would lose her window of opportunity to escape with minimal security and with that, her head start.

But something about him was desperate, pleading. He was begging her for help. She looked into his eyes, concentrating and trying to make a judgment.

"We must make haste," she whispered, going towards the black tapestry and pulling it aside for him. "Go before someone comes."

The tunnels were long and winding, more so than Katara remembered from when Wei Lin first showed them to her. However, she now had a map, and an ally who could read the characters. Though she still had reservations about allowing him to accompany her, she was thankful for his company in those regards. Finally, after what seemed like ages, they saw an arch that was not covered by a tapestry, but merely an iron gate. With a lock on it.

"Do you have the key?" the prince asked his companion.

"I-I-I do not know of any key," she admitted, searching quickly through her bag to see. "He never said there was any lock, I don't-" Panic began to set in. They were so close, but there was no key. What were they supposed to do now?

"Move," he commanded. Her first instinct was to snap back and demand he not just throw around orders at her, but the determined look in her eye told her to back down. She moved a few steps backwards when he pulled a knife from his belt and pressed it against the rusted lock. He gritted his teeth a bit, applying pressure to the lock before it finally snapped and fell to the ground.

Katara quickly moved to push the gate open and began sprinting towards the tree line when she suddenly felt herself jerked back.

"We need to make sure it's clear," Zuko explained. She gave an exasperated sigh, but nodded at him and let him peer around to make sure there were no guards patrolling before they ran into the jungle. His eyes darted over to her briefly, then resumed surveying the area. "On the count of three, we run. One, two, three."

She didn't need another invitation. She ran faster than she thought she could towards the jungle. With each step, her legs felt heavier, and her chest felt like it was contracting. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and her lungs filled with the crisp, raw air and it burned. Keep going, she told herself.

Katara and Zuko ran into the jungle for what felt like forever until they could no longer see the crimson banners that decorated the walls of the palace or the lanterns of funeral procession - only trees and flowers and bushes. Then she stopped and wrapped her arms around a tree, gasping for air. She pressed her cheek to the rough bark of the tree and closed her eyes, wishing for a cool drink of water.

"We need to keep moving," he said. He too was panting, but not nearly the way Katara was. She attributed it to his familiarity with legs, having had them his entire life. She shook her head to disagree, still gasping for breath. "Listen, siren, we don't have time to stop and - "

"My name is Katara," she snapped finally. "Not fish whore, not fish bride, not siren, and not any other horrible disrespectful name your people have called me. Katara."

"You really want to discuss this now?" Zuko's fist clenched a bit. "When we have people after us. No, not just people - an entire nation."

She glared at him and released her grip on the tree, moving closer and closer to him. "I do. And I want to discuss why I should feel remotely motivated to travel with you. Your sister may not like me, but I am nothing to her. You are her fugitive wanted for assassinating the king. It is more dangerous for me to travel with you. And what do you offer me? Protection? Passage back to the Glacierlands? Put me in an ocean and I will make my own trip back. I do not need you."

"Because you would so clearly blend in here with your dark skin and blue eyes. Not to mention you can't read and you still don't sound like a native speaker of the common language. You would get targeted in a matter of moments. Furthermore, these are my lands. I know this island, and how to sound like one of them, and I can move us through with as little attention as possible. Plus, traveling with someone is less suspicious than traveling alone. Not to mention, I am trained swordsman, and I can hunt, track, fish, and cook," he spat hotly at her.

Wow, Katara thought to herself as her slightly darkened eyes returned to their normal shade of sapphire, he really wants to stay with me. But why? He seemed like such a loner. She thought he would have leaped at the opportunity to wash his hands of her and go forth on his own. He must have really thought about this, her conscience concluded. Or he's scared.

"Fine," she finally said. "I shall follow you. But we are equals. And do not make me change my mind." The siren resumed walking deeper into the jungles, passing him by as he wiped the sweat from his face with the bottom of his shirt.

"Hey! I thought I was leading, si- Katara."

It was going to be a long journey back to the coast of the island.

* * *

As dusk began to set in, Katara found herself listening to the 'music' of nature. Behind the siren sitting at the edge of the cave, a small fire crackled and muffled the soft noises of a sleeping prince-turned-fugitive. The waves of the ocean crashed against the rocky cliff, and a small drum of thunder promised a storm in the distance. Occasionally, a flock of birds would swoop by, but they were eventually drowned out by the sound of rain.

She brought the small waterskin to her dry and cracked lips, trying to return a small bit of moisture to them. She was simply exhausted. Running. That's all she had done, and even worse, she had baggage. And he had a bad encounter with poison jungle broad leaves. A rash broke out over his entire body, and he had been sleeping away the unpleasant fever in a cave he found and insisted they stop in.

"Mom," he groaned a bit in his sleep. The siren turned to look at him. Pitiful. Almost as pitiful as she was. On second thought, he was more pitiful than she was.

While she had been taken from her family and friends forcefully - he had to abandon it. His mother was not in the picture (the gods only know what happened to her), his father was dead, his sister accused him of treason and had him branded a traitor of the state, who knew what was going on with his uncle, and his fiancée was one of his sister's dearest friends. At least if, when, she got home, Katara would be welcomed by her brother, father, and sisters of the sea.

He stirred a bit from his bed, grumbling a bit and Katara shook her head back to her reality. She reached to take the broad leaf sitting beside her and scooped some of the thick paste sitting inside the pot onto the leaf. The siren rubbed the white creme onto the red splotches littering the young man's fair skin. Her cobalt blue eyes narrowed as she focused on her task, not even becoming aware of a pair of golden eyes now fixated on her form.

"How do I know that isn't more poison you're rubbing into my skin to incapacitate me?" he asked. The siren wondered if he really meant to question whether or not she was trying to kill him.

She gave a soft snort, "Because unlike you, I am a woman of honor. I said we are partners. Where I come from, partners take care of one another." Partners in her native language also meant lovers, but she elected not to mention that as she had learned recently it had a second meaning in the common language.

"And how do you know that it's going to help?" he demanded.

Katara sighed a bit, "I just do. I cannot explain it. I just know certain things. I feel connected to nature, and I just, I just know it." She grew silent as she concentrated on her work. "Roll over so I can get your back."

He silently obeyed her command, moving to scratch at his arm when she lightly slapped his hand and wagged a finger at him to say, "No." He sighed a bit and clenched his fists to try and abstain from the temptation.

"You sound less like my grandmother when you speak," he said as she smeared more of the gooey substance on his back.

"I beg your pardon," she frowned at him.

He exhaled sharply. "I meant, it's better than that weird way you spoke it on the ship. No, I mean, well, I meant that it sounds more normal than it did before. It's good. Keep practicing." Was that actually a compliment?

"We are fast learners," she commented lightly, then placed a hand gently on his shoulder to indicate she was done. She wiped her fingers clean on the hem of her shirt, then went to take a sip of water from her waterskin.

"And you adapt," Zuko said, turning to lay on his back again before propping himself up on his elbows.

A small smile tug at the corner of her mouth, "And we adapt." She looked to the entrance of the cave; a cascade of rain was coming down now. "What is this place?"

"Smuggler's hold," he said, staring off a bit. "The Dragon Court is supplied by some of the world's most accomplished smugglers. They use these to store supplies until they can move it on the underground market to potential buyers. Luckily, we didn't run into the smugglers. They're not really a friendly group of people."

"And how did you know it was here?" Katara inquired curiously.

He shrugged. "Like I said, the Dragon Court is supplied by some of the world's most accomplished smugglers. Let's just leave it at that." Vague answer, but she decided to at least be thankful for a secluded area to rest in. She couldn't remember the last time she slept, and the longer she sat still, the more her body reminded her of it.

Silence.

"Thank you for helping me," Zuko finally said after what seemed like an eternity. "I-I know you didn't have to, and I know you didn't want to, but-"

"I do not want your thanks, I want an explanation. And I want you to tell me why I should trust you. What do you offer me?" the siren interrupted, looking directly at him. She moved towards the cavern wall and leaned against it, feeling fatigued.

He tried to sit up, before giving up and laying back down flat on his back. "It doesn't take a genius to figure out Azula and I have a terrible relationship. My father was never proud of me. I was always some kind of a disappointment. But Azula was his prodigy; she was perfect in all the ways I was a royal mistake. She's had her eyes on the throne since she was born, probably, and my dad has spent everyday of his life wanting her to be the crown princess.

"Anyway, I was thinking about what I was going to say at my coronation. Then Mai was there, asking me why I did it. 'How could you murder your own father,' she said. I connected the dots; Azula set me up to take the downfall so she could get what she's been wanting since day 1. Wouldn't be hard to convince others either. A disgraced prince comes home and weeks later he drops dead. She couldn't have planned it better if she even wanted to."

"Why were you disgraced?" Katara asked, closing her eyes to rest for a moment.

"I wouldn't worry yourself with that. It won't matter in a few days anyway; you'll be home," he replied.

She nodded, starting to feel herself succumb to sleep. "I suppose that is so."

When she woke up the next morning, the fire was out and instead of sitting up against the cave's wall, she was lying down on a thin blanket. The ground wasn't much more comfortable, but she imagined she received better sleep lying down than sitting up.

"Well good morning, my beauty," a deep voice said, almost laughing when she moved to sit up quickly and back away. A sharp, cold blade was quickly pressed against her neck. "How did you sleep?"

* * *

_Posted: 06/06/2012_


	8. Chapter 7: The Mining Village of Changde

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 7: The Mining Village of Changde

_"Through the veins of a Dragon runs Fire; through the veins of a Dragon runs the will of the Sun." - Motto of the Dragon Court_

* * *

The siren fought every bit of her instinct to close her eyes and looked up at the man holding her at knife-point. He was tall with grey hair and a silly large hat... and some sort of strange bird on his shoulder. Smugglers, Katara quickly concluded.

"Of all the caves a foolish girl could have chosen to stay in, she decided to stay in my humble storage place," he sneered, going to offer his hand to help her up after returning the knife to its sheath. Katara remained unamused.

"On your feet," he finally snapped after she neglected to move. She moved to take his hand as she counted the number of companions he had. It wasn't in her interest to fight back; no, she would have to be cleverer about it.

The young man wasted no time in binding her hands with coarse rope then proceeding to search through her bag, trying to determine if any of it had value. He quickly pocketed the coins in the side pocket of the bag, then flipped the lip close after deciding that nothing else was of any value to him.

He placed a hand on her shoulder and began leading her out of the cave, barking a few orders at the other smugglers to move the supplies. He wasted no time in tying her to a tree and using a questionably hygienic piece of cloth as a gag for her mouth. Smugglers was the politically appropriate term, the siren decided; classless pirates was the more accurate one.

"Are you here alone?" he asked, arms folded. Katara looked straight at him as if to imply he was foolish for asking such a ridiculous question when she was gagged. "You can nod your head yes or shake your head no," the smuggler snapped as if he had read her mind.

Nod. Way to lie and cover Zuko, the blue eyed woman quickly fussed at herself after her answer. She reasoned he had probably left her at the first sign of trouble for a clean getaway. Spineless coward.

"And are you from the Volcanic Islands?"

She shook her head.

"Did someone tell you about this place - damn it," he began to ask, then cursed when one of his men shouted a question at him. "I'll be back," he glared at her threateningly, then turned around to go back inside the cave.

It was barely dawn, so it was still moderately dark in some areas - especially in the thick brush of the jungle. If only she could loosen the ropes and just squeeze one hand free she could...

Suddenly, the ropes dropped to the floor. But she hadn't done anything, and she was fairly certain sirens couldn't cause such things with only their mind. Before she could remove the gag, a hand clapped over her mouth and turned her head to look at a familiar face. The fugitive prince had a finger pressed to his lips for a moment before returning it to the hilt of his blade. He began backing away slowly and quietly, pulling the siren along with him. It would seem he wasn't nearly as tactless as Katara had originally thought he was.

After a few moments of silently backing up, Zuko finally released Katara from the cradle between his arm and chest, took her hand and took off running. She wasn't sure why he felt the particular need to hold her hand, but told herself it had to be for security purposes. He didn't want her running in an opposite direction from him.

"Run ahead! She can't be that far along!" the captain of the smugglers shouted.

Katara felt her heart pounding in her chest like it was when she escaped the palace. She tried her best not to gasp for air too loudly, fearful of being heard. Zuko tried to pull her along to force her to keep up, but it was clear he was running slower in the interest of not leaving her behind. She couldn't tell why; most people would have just left it to their survival instincts at this point - run or be killed, as it were.

In all her thoughts, she felt herself suddenly sprawl forward after her foot got caught on a root. She turned to look at Zuko as she rose to her feet, well aware she was probably bleeding and bruised in more than one area, when she felt the ground beneath her legs start sinking.

"Don't move," he whispered, crouching towards her. "It's dry sand pit. You're lucky because only your legs are in it."

She reached out quickly to grab his arm as he started to rise to his feet. You can't just leave me, she wanted to say. She wanted to scream at him for abandoning her in this moment. She needed help. Katara started to try and pull herself out when he took her hands in his and narrowed his eyes.

"Do you trust me?"

"No," she said matter-of-factly. "I do not."

Zuko sighed then shrugged a bit, "Fair enough. I don't entirely trust you either. But if you move and try to fight the sand without leverage, you'll sink faster and die. I'll be back, okay?"

He turned and left before she could object and Katara closed her eyes, praying in her native language, "Mother of my body, Mother of my spirit, please allow me to live through this so I may continue to serve you." A pang of guilt struck the siren, however, because for the first time, she wanted to ask them to allow her to live - for herself.

"Grab this," Zuko's voice broke her concentration. She opened her eyes and reached her hands out for the large branch he had in his hands. "I'll pull you out."

She held on tighter than she ever had to anything in her entire life as the man tried to pull her out, using his own body weight as leverage. When she was finally on solid ground, he collapsed alongside her, panting and gasping for air. This made the second time in less than half an hour that he saved her.

Katara hoped he wasn't keeping score.

The siren never gained confidence that they had truly shaken the smugglers when they finally did start moving again. And she was also sorely disappointed she lost the bag Iroh had given her. However, she was more preoccupied by the fact Zuko not only saved her life - twice - but he returned after leaving this morning to save her from smugglers. Smugglers with bad intentions.

They had stopped by a small creek when Zuko decided it was finally time to check the damage from her earlier spill near the dry sand pit. "Take a seat; we won't be able to cover our tracks if you keep bleeding all over the place."

She sat down at the bank, cupping her hands and bringing the water to her lips. Finally. Her body seemed to be cursing at her for neglecting to keep it hydrated. She wondered what it would feel like to never go into the water again...

"You okay?" he asked abruptly, interrupting her train of though. He began using a knife to cut up the rag that was serving as a gag into strips, then laid them flat on a rock.

The siren nodded, watching as he took her leg onto his lap and pushed up her pants leg.

"Well, you look like hell," he said. Katara frowned; abrasive as always.

"Ouch," she fussed a bit as he cupped water into his hand and let it go onto the sizable cut on her shin.

Zuko rolled his eyes a bit. "Quit fussing, it's just water. Someone like you should enjoy it of all people."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

He sighed a bit and looked at her plainly, "Do you want my help or not?"

Katara grew silent and watched him as he continued to work. He was an interesting fellow, that was for sure. He had gone from making his disinterest of her quite well-known to tolerating her to begging her for help to rescuing her to tending to her war wounds. She hated to imagine the story that went with how he became engaged to Mai.

"Where are we?" she finally asked, her voice sounding raspy as he wrapped the self-made bandages around her leg.

"I can't be one hundred percent sure, but I think we're either near this mining village right outside the capital. Or we're near some farmlands. It's hard to tell," he shrugged a bit then began attending to her other leg. "This one only has minor scrapes; I'll just flush it with water then we can refill our waterskins and keep going."

Zuko sat up before Katara could blink, then slung his bag over his shoulder.

"We should go before anyone comes along. I have a little bit of money, so I should be able to get us some decent food, a room to sleep in, and maybe a map so we can make it to the bay," he explained, then started walking along the creek. "Let's go, it'll be high sun soon and we know how you don't handle heat well."

The siren sat up slowly and stumbled a bit at first, then began following him along. This guy was really some sort of mystery and she didn't understand him for a minute. He seemed so cold and calloused before; like he didn't even care about anything. She just didn't understand it.

Then everything went black.

* * *

The next time the siren opened her sapphire eyes, she was in a bed with a few dimly lit candles. Her head had a cool, damp piece of cloth placed on it and cup of clear liquid was sitting beside the bed. Water.

She quickly sat up and brought the glass to her lips, draining it quickly.

"You've been out quite a while, Miss," a soft voice informed her. Katara looked at her; she was plump with gentle eyes and black hair. "Your husband brought you here, then he went out into town to try and find you some tea."

Husband?

Katara's face must have had a strange expression of confusion because the young woman quickly explained, "Tall, handsome, amber eyes, long hair pulled back. He has that... mark."

_Scar._ She was being polite. One thing the siren did admire about the people of the Volcanic Islands was their dedication to being polite; most people from the Glacierlands were blunt and direct.

Truthfully, Katara had wanted to ask him about the scar on his face. It was hard to ignore. But she never had; after a while, she had stopped seeing it. It was just... part of him, just like her tail would be part of her when she was finally in the water.

"Miss, are you alright?" the young girl repeated. She apparently spaced out while the girl was speaking.

"Yes, I am well," Katara rasped weakly. Her voice sounded horrible.

"Drink some water," she handed the siren a cup, who graciously accepted it and drank it quickly. The water was a little salty and burned her lips. It slipped from her fingers as she winced in pain and spilt over the bed.

She felt so clumsy and foolish. "I am so sorry," she apologized.

The girl quickly patted the water spots dry with a towel and gave the blue eyed girl a reassuring smile. "It's just water. Sorry, we get ours from a nearby hot spring. It's cleaner than the creeks since the coal miners use those, but it tends to be a bit salty. Maybe I should get my uncle to come by here; he's a healer, after all."

"No, no, that is not necessary. I thank you for your hospitality, however. When will Z- my husband be returning? Do you know?" She decided since he was a fugitive it would also be unwise to refer to him by name, but maintaining her composure while she referred to him as her husband was a little too easy. It was entirely too natural to call him that; she made a mental note to scold him for telling such a lie and not sticking around to help her keep the cover. Who knows what he had already told the girl?

"Say, you have a peculiar accent. You're not from here, are you?"

Busted. At least it wasn't for her looks.

"And you have blue eyes; you know, I've never seen those before. Most people have brown or hazel, except for the occasional Glacierland trader. And then there's the royal family; they apparently have gold eyes. Oh, you must be a Glacierland trader! That's how you met your husband, right?"

Katara found herself wishing Zuko was there - for the second time in the day. This girl was a never ending source of questions. Is this what she sounded like when one of the girls was having a fling with a fisherman from the nearby village?

"Jia, what are you doing?" a familiar voice asked, as if it was a blessing from the moon herself, going to set down a brown package on the end of the bed.

"Oh, she's fine, we were just talking. Say, I think we have some hot and sour soup in the kitchen left over from dinner. I can get it heated up for you."

He nodded a bit, his eyes not leaving the siren as the girl slipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

"Jia? My husband? Did you injure your head?" the siren whispered as fierce as you could, then began coughing into her hands. He sat down at the edge of the bed and pushed her until she was laying back.

"What should I have said? 'Hi, I'm the disgraced former Crown Prince Zuko, wanted for murder of the Dragon King Ozai by the now Dragon Queen Azula. This is a siren who can literally tear you to shreds if she's in water. Would you mind giving us a place to crash for the night? Thanks.'" he retorted, his voice surprisingly calm and low. "Anyway, I brought you some oolong tea. That and some soup will help you feel better."

"I am fine," she insisted, starting to sit up. He placed a firm hand on her shoulder and kept her reclined in the bed.

He sighed a bit as she tried to fight him. "You're not. A few days ago you were holding me off the ground with one hand, now you can barely sit up straight. You're not yourself, and I need a partner that can defend herself."

The siren searched his eyes for a moment, then relaxed into the bed as the girl returned with a large bowl of soup and handed it to Zuko. He nodded at her, seeming to thank and dismiss her simultaneously. He waited until the door clicked close, then brought a spoonful of the soup to his lips, blew on it, then placed it at Katara's mouth. She reluctantly opened her mouth to accept the hot liquid.

"Tomorrow - if you have the energy - we'll keep going. I found out we're at that mining village called Changde right now. Another day, two days max, and we'll be near the coast. I'll get us a boat ride to the Southern Windmountain, and then I'll keep going and you'll be free to go back to the Glacierlands," he explained, concentrating on feeding her.

"Zuko," she whispered.

"Li," he corrected, refusing to look at her.

"Li,"

"Yes?" he sounded a little annoyed.

"Why did you come back for me? In the cave. And save me from the dry sand pit and the smugglers, and now you do this for me. I am afraid I do not understand. I believe we are enemies by nature."

He rolled his eyes as if to convey he couldn't believe she was asking such a foolish question. "Because, where I'm from we value honor above almost everything else. I gave you my word I would return you to the ocean; I intend on seeing to it. Now stop talking and eat your soup or I'll pour it down your throat."

She grew quiet, unsure of what to respond. Should she thank him? No, that would probably just make him even more conceited and arrogant than he already was. Finally, she knew what to say.

"Li," she mumbled, her eyelids growing heavy.

"Mm," he grumbled a bit, going to stand up.

"I am glad you are one of honor,"

"Goodnight, Jia."

Then the door clicked and she was alone.

* * *

_Posted: 06/09/2012_


	9. Chapter 8: The Blue Lagoon

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

**A/N: **I have finally decided on a conclusion for _Ethereal_, which has given me the opportunity to start mapping out new fics. After I wrap up this project and make a little headway with my Legend of Korra project, I will be able to begin work on my next Zutara fic named _Wild_. Check out my profile for a summary!

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 8: The Blue Lagoon

_"Blessed are the tears of a Siren, for they are rarer than her love." - Princess Yue, High Priestess of the Moon_

* * *

The next morning, the siren felt a little better but still fatigued. She drank nearly all the water the innkeeper's daughter brought, salty or not. The salt still burned her dry lips and tongue, but it was better than nothing. Her legs were like jelly, almost like the first time she had set foot on dry land nearly a month and a half ago.

A month and a half ago. Had it already been that long?

She tried to walk with Zuko out of the inn, but he decided it would be much easier just to carry her. He bent over a bit and waited. Katara stared at him like she had never seen anything this strange before.

"Well?" he said impatiently.

The siren cocked her head to the side. "I beg your pardon?"

"Put your arms around my neck and jump onto my back. And be quick about it, we haven't got all damn day," he snapped, adding the last bit to reinforce his urgency to leave.

Katara did as he bid, hugging around his neck loosely when he hooked each arm under her leg and lifted her up with surprising strength. She quickly tightened her hold around his neck when he began choking and gasping for air.

"_Jia_," he forced out in front of a woman with her daughter. "Quit that."

The blue eyed girl loosened her grip and bit her lip. "Sorry."

"I suppose piggy back rides aren't common in the Glacierlands," he muttered, mostly to himself but still loud enough for Katara to hear.

She pressed her nose into his shoulder, slightly embarrassed. The more time she spent with Zuko, the more foolish she felt. The more stupid she felt. She couldn't read, she had a funny accent, she looked weird to these people in the Volcanic Islands... she didn't even know what a "pig ride on a back" was. Even worse, the man who dragged her from her home all the way to this insufferably hot, humid island thick with trees and wild animals and smugglers and gods only knew what else was also the man who had saved her life twice and cared for her while she was wounded and ill.

At least you took care of him when he had that plant rash, her conscience reminded her. Small consolation. She still owed him her life - twice over.

"Where are we going?" Katara asked as she noticed they were moving west instead of south.

"A place I think you'll like. It's going to be dangerous but, you can't keep travelling like this," he replied absently.

Her fingernails dug into his skin a bit to which he flinched. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Yep," he said.

"Why is it dangerous?" she inquired, ducking her head down to miss a branch.

He sighed some. "It isn't uncommon for Volcanic Island nobility to be there."

"We cannot go then."

"It isn't up for debate," Zuko said authoritatively. "If I'm ever at the point where I can't walk, then you can carry me and make the decisions of where we're going."

She pursed her lips. He was the most infuriating man she had ever met. Aside from her brother.

* * *

"It's called the Blue Lagoon," he explained. The water was the purest hue of blue the brunette had ever seen; it almost seemed to glow. A large tree provided shade to it, and large lilypads and glowing flowers littered the water. It was breathtaking. "At night, it looks like a sea of stars. My family and I used to come here when we were younger."

Katara had been walking after he grew exhausted from carrying her. He was too proud to admit it, but she could feel the fatigue in his arms as he slowly let her slide down his back on more than one occasion.

She stepped towards the edge and dipped her finger in. It was cool, which surprised her. She was half expecting it to be warm. She cupped her hand and brought some of the water to her lips, more of it spilling down her face and chest than anything.

The young man sat down, leaning against a rock. "Go swim," he suggested.

"It will take me a while to recover my legs," she protested. As much as she longed to go swimming, she wasn't sure if it was worth the time that would be lost waiting on her to regain her legs.

"It's nearing nightfall and the jungle isn't safe after dark. We might as well stay here tonight, so go swimming before I change my mind."

It was like doing something nice was a challenge for him. Either way, he had made it clear he was stubborn and hardheaded and there would be no arguing with him.

The siren sat up from the edge of the water and pulled off the boots, tossing them aside casually. Next came her pants, which landed on top of the boots.

When the prince finally realized she was stripping he looked away, cheeks red and demanded crossly, "What in the name of the divine are you doing?"

"Surely you do not expect me to ruin my clothing, let alone go swimming and transform in this human attire."

"A little warning would have been nice," he grumbled.

Katara snorted some before discarded the last article of clothing and tossing it at his face. He immediately yanked it off his face and turned to fuss at her when he realized she was naked. Zuko quickly turned away and shielded his face with his right hand.

"You can look, I am in the water," she finally said, following a splash.

He swallowed a lump in his throat and turned his face to look at her. The siren was honest and the water was high enough to cover past the tops of her breasts. She felt relief she hadn't in nearly a week as she began undoing her matted braid.

Katara sunk into the water and when she rose, brushing her long hair backwards, she took note of the still flustered prince.

"I was not aware princes were such prudes," she teased a bit.

"I was not aware sirens had no shame," he retorted.

The hot glare of the sun began to dip down behind the trees and the siren took comfort in the fact the moon would be rising soon. Already she could feel her former strength returning. The strength she felt in the pouring rain the night Zuko's father died was only the tip of the iceberg.

Katara looked down, making note that her tail was beginning to resurface. "When you were born, were you clothed?"

"What kind of stupid question is that? No, I wasn't clothed."

"Clothing is unnatural. The body is meant to be seen, you should be proud of it, not embarrassed by it. It does not have to be sexual unless you desire it to be so."

He scoffed a bit. "In the Volcanic Islands, an unclothed man or woman is a sexual thing."

"'In the Volcanic Islands this, in the Volcanic Islands that,'" the siren mimicked in a gruff voice. For the first time in a long time, she felt like her old self, usually playing around with her brother and sisters of the sea. In the water, she was free; on land, she was a prisoner.

"Excuse me?" he frowned at her.

"It is the way you sound; have you ever considered there is more to life than traditions of your people?" Katara floated backwards towards the center of the lagoon.

He crouched near the edge of the lagoon, but far enough away so she couldn't pull him in. He had learned his lesson the first night at the palace. "And yet you place all your stock in a book written by some old monks millennia ago about some gods when it's clear they don't give a damn about us, or they don't exist."

Her eyes narrowed. "Perhaps it is because you have continually wronged them. Your mining village taints the water, and destroys the land. Your water vessels pollute the air with thick black smoke. You and your way of life offends nature. It is why the gods do not favor you. And, you are too serious."

"Enjoy your swim. I'm going around to take a bath before the water gets too cold." He was a champion of stonewalling and poker faces. And every time she thought they were closer to becoming friends, he would throw another barricade in her way.

And yet, Katara found herself surprisingly disturbed. Most men saw Katara two ways - a threat, or a prize. Zuko appeared to see her as neither, just his partner until they reached the Southern Windmountains. And then it was over; she could go home, and he would spend the rest of his life... doing what? Running? Hiding? Would he ever have a wife? Children? A daughter with a boyfriend he would intensely scrutinize before allowing them to marry?

She suddenly felt angry. It was like he didn't even see her. For the first time, someone made Katara feel ugly. And for the life of her, she couldn't understand why it mattered. So many times before she wanted to be ugly, she didn't want sailors or men from villages in the Glacierlands to look at her like something to screw. It would be just like the Son of the Dragon to treat her like she wasn't worthy of his interest.

But she had forgotten he was in love. Or he at least had strong feelings for Mai. It remained indeterminate to her, she had really only seen the girl twice, and she seemed unmoved by most things. Still, a part of her wounded pride wanted to prove - mostly to herself - that she was every bit the stunning woman she had grown up to be. The worst part was she didn't understand why.

* * *

Not long after his bath, Zuko returned to the bank. With short hair. She cocked her head to the side a bit in surprise and feigned attention as he explained something about long hair being characteristic of nobility or military and he preferred to avoid it. Or something to that effect.

Then he said something about going to get something to eat. She doubted he was half the hunter her brother or father was. She had been known to be wrong, though.

This, alas, was not one of those times. He didn't return completely empty handed after night had fallen, however, but he still was only able to collect an assortment of wild nuts and berries from around the lagoon. Katara offered to bring a few fish, but he quickly dismissed her assistance. The pride of a man and a dragon combined, the siren concluded.

"I heard a song from your lands once," Katara finally said while he pried open a nut with his small dagger and pulled the nut out of the shell.

"Fascinating," he deadpanned.

She flicked her tail at him, launching a bit of water in his direction. "It is called the Hymn of the Dragon, I think. At least, that is what my sister called it."

"What of it?"

Katara re-evaluated her scenario of Zuko finding another woman to marry and having children with her. He was clearly incapable of normal social interaction with any member of the opposite sex.

"Is it not important to your people?" the siren pressed, trying to elicit some sort of response from him.

He shrugged a bit, going to set the nut down on a flattened leaf before bringing it to the edge of the water for her to eat. "It's typically a lullaby, my mom sang it to me when I was a kid. Haven't heard it in years."

"Would you like to hear it again?" she popped a nut into her mouth before spitting it out. "It is bitter."

"It's a vine nut; they're not supposed to taste good, but it's better than nothing." he said.

"You did not answer my question." Katara pointed out, going to attempt eating another one.

He sighed a bit. "I don't care."

She finally grew silent, and her eyes narrowed with attentiveness.

"Well don't get all defensive about it, I didn't-"

"Shut up." she commanded.

"Just who do you think you are talking to-" he began to snap back when he was suddenly tackled into the water.

When he finally surfaced, the attacker wrapped his elbow around Zuko's neck and began squeezing to cut off his air supply. The amber eyed prince jerked his elbow backwards into the stomach of the assailant and was released. He stood up, the water coming up halfway on his torso and tried to wade through it to the siren. As he reached to grab her arm and pull her out of the water, he suddenly fell forward and Katara felt helpless as all she could do was stand and watch. She didn't even know who this random person attacking Zuko was.

The dark figure was clearly not ready to let the prince escape, and launched himself forward. He was fast, but Katara managed to catch the reflection of something shining in his hand.

"Watch out!" she managed to get out before she heard Zuko groan in pain. He rose a bit, trying to defend himself with one arm, while the other clutched his side. It was no use; he was injured and the attacker was beginning to gain the upper hand.

The prince fell backwards onto the bank of the lagoon, dark liquid trickling out from between his fingers.

And then the siren lost control. Her eyes were black with rage and her face had contorted to reveal the true nature of a siren - a deadly creature who would go to extreme measures to defend herself, and those she desired to protect. She grabbed the attacker by the scruff of his neck, jerking him backwards and pulling him under the sea of stars of the lagoon.

When Katara surfaced, the attacker was gone and her hands were shaking as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hands.

* * *

Zuko groaned as Katara did her best to pull him, without the aid of any legs, off the embankment of the lagoon. The moonlight was dim, and even worse, the trees of the jungle were casting great shadows that made it nearly impossible for any human to see. A siren - on the other hand - was more than capable.

The dark liquid squirting out of his side showed no signs of stopping, and she felt frustrated at how long it had taken her to act.

"W-what's on your face?" he croaked a bit.

She wiped her cheek quickly with the back of her hand, trying to avoid his question. "Nothing, dirt," she lied.

"You suck at lying," he grumbled. "It's blood isn't it?"

"I'm a siren," she mumbled. "This... it... I... what happened is my nature."

Zuko snorted a bit. "Too bad nature didn't come along before I got stabbed."

"It is monstrous."

"It's your nature," he reaffirmed. "My uncle says that," groan, "we should never be ashamed to be what we are."

She knew how to treat a siren's wounds, but a human's were a great mystery to her. And because of her ignorance, Zuko was going to die. Despite all their conflicts, Katara felt... sad - sad that she wasn't strong enough to protect him, or her mother. Or any of her sisters who died. She was a siren, but she was weak and afraid to be one.

She had seen the way Sokka looked at her the first time he saw her react angrily towards someone who threatened him. Her face bore her curse and threatened the siren if she were to ever touch Sokka, it would be her last day on the planet. Adine never crossed Katara again. Yet despite her saving his life, Sokka was angry, no, disappointed that she didn't fight her nature the way her mother had. But Zuko was accepting of it. He did not see her as a threat or a prize, but his partner in their plight to escape the Volcanic Islands.

"I should have done something sooner," Katara choked, her eyes starting to sting as she felt even more helpless than when her mother died.

"Probably," he lamented as he moved his hand from his side, growing weary of holding it.

She slapped him and he groaned. "You cannot die and just leave me here. We are partners."

"Ouch, hell, Katara, I'm not dying," he winced as her palm struck his face.

Silence.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, nearly stunned.

He tried to sit up against a tree, examining the his injury. "It's just a flesh wound."

Silence. Then a loud crack.

"Quit hitting me!" he shouted before he felt himself gasping for air when the siren pulled him in for a crushing embrace. "Alright, alright, you can let go."

She didn't. Katara pressed her nose into his shoulder, quivering as she fought back the tears. In that moment, she had realized that she and Zuko were essentially the same person - a lost soul, trying to hold onto whatever they had. Right now, he was all she had left, and if he died, she would become her worst nightmare. Alone.

* * *

_Posted: 06/10/2012_


	10. Chapter 9: The Turning Point

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 9: The Turning Point

_"Duality is at the core of nature; we must accept the darkness within ourselves to find the light to fight our demons." - Official Crest of the Chief Monk of the Southern Windmountains_

* * *

Waiting for Katara's legs to reappear felt like an eternity. She busied herself with rinsing the red liquid from Zuko's clothes and flesh to the best of her ability while trying to keep her legs dry. When it stopped oozing at the earlier fast rate, she felt a wave, tsunami actually, of relief crash into her. _Finally_.

She pulled herself along the bank by her elbows and reached for his bag, searching through it for anything that could be used to dress the wound. A spare shirt was all she came up with; it would have to do.

The knife Zuko had used was nowhere to be seen, and she didn't feel like searching around the lake floor for it. Especially when it would set back the progression of her legs forming. She used her teeth to shred the shirt into workable strips, then wrapped it around the wound.

It would have to do for now. Tomorrow, they could go to the next port then they could have the wound dressed properly before continuing on to the Southern Windmountains. He drifted in and out of consciousness, but never spoke a word.

She sat against a tree and looked up at the sky, trying to count the stars, then closed her eyes to blink.

When she opened her eyes, it was morning and she had a blanket wrapped around her frame. Zuko was hovering by the shore, refilling waterskins. She looked to her left and saw her boots and clothes piled beside her.

"Good morning," she croaked a bit, checking to see her legs had reappeared. She wasted no time in pulling on the clothes.

"The port's not far. We used to stop here on our way to the port to go to Ember Island. Probably less than half a day's walk, I think. We can get a charter, then we'll be at the Southern Windmountains, and, yeah," he explained, then tried to stand up. He groaned in pain and Katara quickly reached out and offered her body for support.

"How are you feeling?" Her fingers went to examine the wound before he slapped them away.

He pulled his shirt down. "I'm fine."

She slapped him on the cheek lightly before pointing her index finger at him. "You are not 'fine,' you are hurting."

He sighed and let her lift his shirt, turning to look away. Katara recognized the look in his eye; it was embarrassment, most likely stemming from her behavior last night. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. It would only rub salt in the wound, metaphorically speaking.

"When we get to the port, we will get someone to treat it properly," she pulled the shirt back down as her eyes traced over his physique.

Stop, her conscience nagged at her. The siren shook away her thoughts, then slung the bag over her left shoulder before going to put a supporting arm around his waist.

"Put your arm over my shoulders," she instructed. He opened his mouth to object but a threatening look from the cerulean eyed girl quickly dismissed his protests. He did as he was told and she used her strength to pull him upright. "Which way do we go?"

"Left," he said. Katara hoped she had enough energy to support him - and enough water.

* * *

"May I ask you a question?" she asked while they were resting under some trees. Katara had taken over the chore of peeling the skin off a blood orange before handing him wedges of the juicy fruit.

"I doubt my saying no would stop you," he said dryly before looking at her. Was that a smile? She couldn't tell. He nodded his head to give her permission.

"Do you find me attractive?"

He made a coughing noise, then touched his tongue. "Sorry, I bit my tongue."

"You are avoiding the question," she reminded him.

Zuko looked down at his nails, scraping dirt from the nail beds. "I don't think you need my opinion to validate you, Katara."

"Why not?"

"Because why the hell does it matter?" he snapped defensively. "We're two people trying to get out of this place in one piece. Whether or not I want to kiss you, or have kids with you, or grow old with you - it's irrelevant."

She folded her arms and sighed aggressively. "Do you want to kiss me?"

"What - Mother of the Gods, where is this coming from all the sudden? Did you crack your head open when we were at the lagoon?" he ran a hand through his hair.

"No I did not. Why can you just not answer my question?" She was becoming angry and her eyes started to grow dark.

He sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Yes, you are pretty. Yes, I would like to kiss you, and have kids with you, but you're a siren. This is just what guys think about when they're around you. So I have stopped listening to that part of my brain because a siren's kiss is toxic; if you kiss her, you'll think you're in love, and you'll go crazy because of it. Are you satisfied now?"

The blue eyed girl sat there, stunned. "Because of Mai," she mumbled.

"Yes. No. I don't know. It's just the fact I'm running for my life. I don't have time for some fantasy relationship with some fantasy creature. And neither do you. I'm a Descendant of the Dragon, you're a siren. At the end of the day, we're enemies."

"That is all I wanted to know." Katara said flatly.

"No one move; you're both under arrest," a sharp voice interrupted, two sharpened swords pointed at Zuko and her throats.

"Way to go," Zuko hissed at her.

"Shut up!" the guard snapped, hitting him in the shoulder with the hilt of his blade. The two of them were snatched up by their elbows, to which Zuko groaned in pain.

"I don't know what you're talking about, we are just two people traveling," Zuko protested.

"I said shut up," the guard barked before shoving them in the back of a carriage with a sleeping bald young man with blue arrow-shaped tattoos and a barefoot girl in green and yellow. Then he slammed the door in their faces.

* * *

Katara found herself sitting alone in an empty room when the young man with tattoos was shoved into the room with her. He was rubbing his shoulder and mumbling in a familiar language before sitting down.

"Can't beat Volcanic Island hospitality," he half-joked. "Sorry, my name is Aang. You're Jia, right?"

"Katara," the siren corrected, deciding there was no sense in trying to hide their identity now that they had been arrested.

"Sorry, your friend Zuko told me it was Jia. I wonder why."

She looked down and sighed. "No reason to lie anymore, we have already been caught."

"Happens to the best of us," he assured her, then began speaking in a familiar language. Her native language. "You're the siren, aren't you?"

"I am," she replied. It was the first time she had a fluent conversation in her old language. "How do you know my language?"

He motioned to his attire and the tattoos on his body. "I'm a monk from the Southern Windmountains. We study your language from birth. I probably spoke the ancient language before the common one. You're a long way from home."

"I could say the same for you," Katara replied, bowing her head. "Why are you here?"

"Toph. The girl in green, she's blind. And she tends to skirt the rules, if you catch my drift. She's a smuggler. One of the good ones though; there are a lot of thugs out there. I met her a long time ago. I've met a lot of disabled people before, but she was the first one that was actually proud of it. She sees things no one else does. I kind of admire her. Anyway, I've always wanted to see the world. She offered me a spot on her ship as a translator and diplomatic council. It opens a lot of ports and markets up for her, and I get free room and board." He smiled a bit. It was a warm, genuine smile. "I've never met a siren before though."

"I've never met a monk either. Truthfully, I had never met anyone before seven weeks ago. Except other sirens, the occasional sailor, and the Glacierland Tribe that lived there. My dad, grandmother, and brother live there."

His eyes lit up. "Isolationism is kind of weird; it connects you more to nature, but then.. you get to be out in the world, and things change."

"Your faith is shaken," Katara said softly. The grey eyed boy nodded a bit. "And you start wanting more to life than whatever the gods want. You want what you want."

"Exactly," Aang agreed. "You don't want to be entrusted to protect knowledge and tradition anymore."

"Or safeguard the fountain of life."

He lied back on the small cot in the room, staring at the thatched roof. Parts of it had fallen in and he could see the sky peeking through. "Have you ever been in love, Katara?"

"I love my sisters, and my family, but I have never been _in_ love, no." She looked at her hands in embarrassment. "Sirens aren't built to love, we were built to... I don't know."

"Everyone is built to love," he looked at her and smiled. "And someone as beautiful as you deserves it."

She snorted a bit. "I'm a monster. Everyone is afraid of me. My nature has cursed me to be a creature of darkness."

"I'm not afraid of you. And sometimes, we have to accept the darkness within ourselves to become creatures of light. Nature is about balance, look at yourself. But I promise there is light in you, Katara. I have a knack for seeing those types of things. Just like there's light in that Prince Zuko guy."

She heard footsteps, and became grateful the discussion was in another language. The girl in green - Toph - was pushed into the room and she reached her hands out to feel for the bedframe before plopping down. "Speaking in tongues eh, Twinkletoes?"

"Are you okay, Toph?" he asked quickly, going to her side.

"A couple of Volcanic Island thugs were no match for the Blind Bandit," she scoffed. "Had a nice chat with Sparky though before they carted him off for some sort of interrogation hullabaloo. Quite a jabber jaw once you get him talking."

Katara stifled a laugh. "If you are referring to Zuko, I think we know the wrong person."

"Is that his siren?" Toph asked after the siren entered the discussion.

"My name is Katara," she introduced herself. Toph held her hand out and Aang motioned for Katara to come closer. The siren obeyed and crouched down, then Aang placed Toph's hand on Katara's face, tracing over her features.

"Not as pretty as he made her sound," she muttered.

The siren pulled away, a bit flustered. "I beg your pardon?"

"Toph's kidding," Aang assured her, then he closed his eyes suddenly. The siren went to inquire if he was alright, but the black haired girl drew her attention back.

"Yeah, yeah, all in good fun, Sugar Queen. Anyway, the guy wouldn't stop talking about his honor, and how he was worried about his uncle, and his boring, flat girlfriend or fiancée named 'Macy-'"

"Mai," Katara corrected.

"Yeah, that. Then he talked about how he kidnapped you and how he felt bad, and how he had to return you home as part of a deal, and then you attacked him with some question about if he thought you were pretty and then he gave some ridiculous answer, and blah, blah, blah. The guy's a real piece of work, where on earth did you dig him up?"

Her face contorted. "Zuko barely speaks to me, he just gives me orders. 'Do this, do that, shut up, be quiet, listen to me.' It is rather irritating."

"Yeah, he does have this sort of, 'I'm king of the world, hear me roar,' cockiness, but I'm more concerned with the fact he's so wrapped up with fussing about how you annoy him with the way you talk, and your accent, and how impossibly long your hair is, and why your eyes are so blue, and good gods, it's ringing in my ears now," Toph groaned. "I thought Twinkletoes should win the award for annoying blabbering, but Sparky's taking the contest to new heights."

A hand reached out and grabbed Katara's shoulder and she jumped. "Aang, what's wrong?"

"Katara, you have to listen to me."

* * *

"Alright, everyone, on your feet," a guard commanded after the door swung open. "You're being transferred. Siren, you're going with Prince Zuko. The rest of you are being taken to the port and deported from the islands. We better not see you in these parts again, smugglers."

The siren felt herself being jerked away from her two new acquaintences when Aang turned to shout at her in her native language, "Accept the dark within yourself. It will give you the light you need to face your demons. May the Moon guide you, and the Sun give you strength! You must stop the Daughter of the Dragon."

Just like that, Aang and Toph were gone, and she was shoved into the back of a metal container where Zuko was lying on a slab of metal jutting out from the wall.

Katara delayed no time in kicking him in the knee after sitting on the slab opposite him. He groaned and stirred a bit, starting to sit up while continued to land blows with her feet on him as her hands were tied behind her back.

"The hell? What gives, Katara?" He tried to lift his leg to brace himself against her assault.

"So I annoy you, hm? The way I speak your language, and my accent, and my hair, and my eyes? What else irritates you? How I turn into a monster and devour people, especially those who seek to harm you? Or perhaps it is my faith in the gods who gave you and I life, even if you parade around like you yourself are one! No matter what I do, I will never be good enough to be considered anything less than a mythical creature who threatens you Descendants of the Dragon!" Her eyes were turning darker, and her eyes were stinging with tears. It felt like everything that had happened to her had just been dammed up inside, and now it was beginning to spill over.

He moved to press into her and cease her attacks against him. "Stop." She jerked her torso to try and force him off her. "Katara, stop it!"

She looked at him, eyes burning with rage. "Or are you afraid that if you are around me too long you might become attracted to a foolish, annoying creature who could kill you? I am every man's worst nightmare - a beautiful woman who could make him lose control of his frigid heart. I cannot believe I ever felt a need to be validated by you-"

"Fucking shut up already!" he shouted. His face was close to her, and Katara knew if she turned her head enough her lips would be pressed against his. She could feel his warm breath tickling her skin and his eyes boring right through her.

She remained silent for a moment, wondering if he would pull away from her if she remained silent long enough. She opened her mouth to speak again.

"Don't even think about it. It's my turn to talk," he ordered. "Yeah, I think you speak the common language weird, specifically because you don't use contractions and you use old words like, 'accord' and 'acquiesce-'"

"Do not," she protested.

"I said shut up," Zuko snapped. "I think your accent is funny, especially because your L's sound kind of like R's, and you still can't pronounce 'electrocuted' if the fate of the known world depended on it."

Katara opened her mouth again to protest but a warning look from him encouraged her to be silent.

"I think your fascination with your hair loopy things is weird because it looks better when you don't have it suffocating in that braid, and your eyes make the Blue Lagoon look like a muddy lake. I hate that you think it's horrible you turn into this monster because you should never be ashamed of who you are. I hate that my uncle was the only one who has been consistently nice to you, and to be perfectly honest, I'm afraid of you. But you're also all I can think about, and I don't want you to leave because if you leave, I'll be alone. And I don't want to be alone anymore."

He turned around, revealing the rope around his wrists for her.

"Now, I need you to bite through these ropes with those sharp teeth you have so I can get us out of here, and then I can tell you what else about you annoys me. And so I can kiss you and you can stop asking me if I think you're pretty. Do you think you can manage that, or do you want to try and kick me again?"

* * *

_Posted: 06/11/2012_


	11. Chapter 10: The Moonlit Dream

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 10: The Moonlit Dream

_"A Dragon's greatest conflict is His duty to His people and His duty to Himself." - Epitaph of the High Priest of the Sun Temple, Roku_

* * *

The rope tasted bitter and though she was doing her best to tear through it, she considered taking a much slower pace. Zuko wanted to kiss her. How was she supposed to process that information? Part of her felt accomplished he wasn't immune to her; the other part wanted to be sick.

The kiss of a siren could be deadly. It was infamously known to cause obsession to an unhealthy level. The only person she knew that hadn't gone mad from it was, well, her father.

On the other side of her mind was what Aang had told her. If he was right, and she suspected his foresight to be so, she knew what she must do - no matter what sacrifice it asked of her.

The carriage suddenly came to a halt and Zuko peered over his shoulder, "Pick it up, Katara."

She turned and spit the pieces of rope that were in her mouth to the floor, then looked to examine her work. Though she had not torn through the entirety of the rope, it was weak and thin enough that Zuko could hypothetically pull apart.

She began to resume her chewing when the carriage came to a sudden stop. He returned to his seat, nodding at her to indicate it was enough. Katara sat backwards and became very conscious of the familiar heat. She concluded the sun must have risen at some point.

But still... it felt hotter than she remembered the crater of the volcano feeling. A wave of anxiety hit her; something was imbalanced.

"Capital Prison," he mumbled as the door swung open. "They mean to have us executed. Soon, too."

They stepped out and Katara turned her head to avoid the direct light.

"This heat wave is unbearable," the guard with his hand on her shoulder said to the one leading Zuko.

"You're telling me. Princes - Dragon Queen Azula says some nonsense about how it's really just the Sun growing closer to give the Descendants of the Dragon strength," the other snorted. "Whatever. I'm just glad we're guarding prisoners and not going to fight her war."

"What war?" Zuko demanded.

The guard leading him shoved him forward a bit. "Shut up."

Katara glanced over at him and shook her head to tell him to stand down. Zuko growled and pulled his wrists apart, then reached around and grabbed the sword from the guard's hip. He wrapped his arm around the guard's neck.

"Release her," he ordered.

The other guard held his sword at Katara's neck threateningly. "The queen doesn't care what happens to this one. Let him go or I'll kill her."

Zuko paused, searching Katara's eyes for an answer. She shook her head a bit, then leaned forward and brought it reeling back to head butt the man holding her hostage. She grabbed the sword from his sheath, and held it to the guard's throat. "Where is the queen?"

The guard laughed a bit. "Going to challenge her then, siren? Good luck. The queen is more powerful; she has the support of her grandfather the Sun. Your people abandoned you long ago."

"Tell me where she is so I may spare your life and the lives of your people," Katara warned.

"What are you talking about, Katara?" Zuko asked.

She didn't respond, then used the hilt of the sword to knock the guard unconscious. "I must go."

"Go where? I don't understand." He shoved the guard in the back of the carriage and bolted it. "Why are you looking for Azula?"

"Because she must be stopped," Katara moved to un attach the emu horse from the front of the carriage.

He grabbed her arms and looked into her eyes. "Is it about the war? It isn't your fight-"

"But it is my fight!" she shrieked. "Aang, the monk, he told me about something horrible. He is the Avatar, he is the medium that connects the gods to our world. And the gods are angry. My mother the Moon is furious with the Descendants of the Dragon, for one has tried to cheat death, and another seeks to wage war against my people and those living in the Glacierlands. And your grandfather the Sun seeks to punish the Volcanic Islands."

"What are you talking about-"

"The Sun will dry up all the water in the Volcanic Islands to punish for the sins of the Daughter of the Dragon and her father before her. She must be stopped or innocent people will die," Katara jerked free of his grasp, tightening the saddle on the emu horse. "I am a guardian of the fountain of life, for all people - not just those of the Glacierlands."

"Are you going to kill my sister?" he asked quietly.

Katara stood still for a moment. Was she? Sirens were not known for killing women, and truth be told, she had not known anyone of her sisters to have ever taken the life of one. Would she hesitate? No, no, she couldn't treat Azula differently just because of her sex. She would have to be just.

"I do not have an answer," she admitted.

"That's why we're helping," a stern voice contributed. The pair turned around to see the girl in green and the young monk jogging up slowly. "Crazy has to be stopped."

"For the balance of nature," Aang explained, holding onto his staff.

Katara's fingers released the reins of the emu horse. "You should not have come, I can handle this."

"It's my duty," the grey eyed boy sighed, dipping his eyes down.

"Right, so a siren, a monk from the Windmountains, and a defenseless blind girl are going to siege the palace and take down the queen?a What could possibly go wrong?" Zuko snapped.

In a flash his hands was twisted behind his back and he was hunched over to alleviate the pressure. Toph let go of his hand and the prince began rotating his shoulder to relax it. "Who you calling defenseless?" she asked.

The siren placed a thumb at the blind girl's forehead and closed her eyes. "Amazing. You have been blessed by the spirits."

Toph slapped Katara's hand away gently. "Quit fussing. Now we can discuss this elsewhere, or we can wait for another patrol of guards to show up."

* * *

The heat grew more intolerable by every passing moment, and finally, Katara had to rest. They took solace in the thick brush of the jungle nearby a trickling creek.

"The water is drying up," Zuko lamented quietly to himself.

"The gods are angry," Aang repeated, leaning against a tree. Such a young child, cursed with the burdens of the gods. He would be forced to serve as the medium between the gods and the planet until his body finally withered away with age and exhaustion.

The prince crouched down near the stream "So what's your big plan here? Stroll up to the palace, knock on the door, and tell Azula to back off?"

"No," the monk let out a dramatic sigh. "But we can't just run away from these problems. People will suffer if the water dries up."

"So I'm asking what are you going to do?" Zuko sounded impatient and frustrated.

Katara reached out to touch his arm but he jerked away. "We must correct the wrongs in order to restore balance."

"What 'wrongs?'"

The blind girl snorted. "Bloody hell, Sparky doesn't even know. Well, I'm not telling him. This is all you Twinkletoes and Sugar Queen."

Zuko's eyes trained on Katara and demanded answers. "Tell me what?"

Silence.

"Your father tried to cheat death; he's caught in a sort of limbo between life and death. He must be released." Aang finally confessed.

"And you knew!" he accused Katara, going to wrap his fingers around her throat and pin her to a tree.

She gasped for air and grabbed at his hand for him to release her. Aang and Toph moved, but she held her hand out to instruct them not to intervene. "I did not-"

"You should have told me. I trusted you, and you betrayed me like this. I even saved your life!" his grip tightened before he released it finally.

She rubbed her throat, choking on the air that rushed into her lungs. "I did not know until last night. I suppose this makes us even for your injustices against me. No matter, it is clear to me your sister must be stopped and your father must be put to eternal rest. You may stay here, and pretend things are well or alright, but they are most certainly not."

* * *

Zuko agreed with some persuasion to aid the trio in their plight against his father and sister. While Aang and Katara were clearly doing it for the balance of nature, the golden eyed prince was a bit more ambiguous about his reasons.

Concern plagued Katara as she lie awake, trying to sleep. Toph had returned to the ship, promising to be prepared in case they needed a quick getaway. Tomorrow, they would return to the palace. Tomorrow, she would fulfill her duty to humans.

The siren stared up at the sky, admiring the stars. They looked different here in the Volcanic Islands. If not for the unbearable heat and lack of water, it would have felt peaceful. Her eyes felt heavy...

"Katara," a gentle voice called. "Katara."

She sat up and looked around before seeing a dark figure sitting on a rock. Then a single beam of moonlight peered through the clouds. A middle-aged woman dressed in a blue parka with her hair pulled back from her face gave her a sad smile.

"Mom," she breathed, going to move towards her. "Mom, is that you?"

When she finally pushed through the branches in her way, her mother no longer sat in front of her. Instead, a beautiful girl not much older than Katara sat in front of her. She had long white hair pulled up in a series of intricate braids.

"Do you remember me, Katara?"

The siren pursed her lips. "Yue. You were high priestess of the moon years ago."

She smiled at her. "I was. Until I was called to serve. A good deed any of us can do is children is to honor our parents; the greatest honor we can do is to return the life they gave to us. Our mother was weak, and she called upon me to lend her my spirit. Now she presents herself in my image."

"My brother misses you," Katara said quickly.

The white haired girl cast her eyes downward. "And I him. But Sokka will do great things with a better woman at his side." A breeze drifted by and Yue looked up at the moonlight. "Katara, we do not have much time."

"Much time for what?"

"The Avatar told you of his mission, but you must understand the consequences of what is happening." The moon spirit rose to her feet and pulled aside the thick vines behind her. Behind her was a vast desert. "When the moon committed the original sin with her affair with the ocean, sirens were born. The sun was angry, and he cast a dark curse on her. The one that plagues you."

Her hand reached out and cool fingertips brushed against Katara's cheek. The siren looked down at a puddle by her feet and saw her reflection; she closed her blackened eyes at the image. Her teeth were white, but sharpened and almost like small daggers. She felt bile rising in her throat.

"Be still," Yue removed her hand and the siren felt her face return to normal. "In her anger, the moon has cursed the Daughter of the Dragon for her sin against us. Her mind is not well." She waved her hand over the puddle of water and Katara saw Azula, screaming and pulling at her hair. "Our mother takes no pride in her deed."

"Then why has she done it?"

A gust of wind caused ripples in the pool of water and the image of Azula was gone. "Sins of the father," Yue frowned. "Her father has insulted the gods by using the fountain of life to attempt to cheat death. And in response, the moon drove the princess to madness."

"The fountain of life? I don't understand."

Yue leaned in, tracing her finger from Katara's elbow to her wrist then whispered in her ear, "The fountain of life is the blood of a siren." When she leaned back, the white haired girl was no longer there. Instead, the dark haired middle aged woman remained.

"You must end the suffering of the princess and give the king eternal rest."

"Mom!" Katara screamed, her eyes burning with tears. She closed them as a bright light began to overwhelm her. When she opened them, it was daylight.

But she knew it was more than just a dream - it was a plea.

* * *

The moon had risen by the time they had reached the gates of the palace. Aang separated from them hours before, traveling to the nearby Sun Temple where Ozai was resting. He promised he would rendezvous with them as soon as he possibly could; after he had put Ozai to eternal rest by channeling the gods. Katara wanted to ask him what he meant by "channeling," but the look on Aang's face discouraged her from doing so.

The journey to the palace gates was faster thanks to the emu horses they took from the prison. It made traveling by foot seem almost futile, and Katara cursed the time she and Zuko had wasted. Fortunately, sneaking into the palace was easier than sneaking out had been.

"I need to find my uncle," he whispered silently. "He'll know what to do after this is over."

"Find him, I will handle your sister." she replied.

Zuko shook his head. "No, I'll handle Azula. You find my uncle. He can help me."

"You cannot face Azula alone," she frowned. "She's very ill."

He looked at her and said before running off. "It's my sister, which makes this is my fight. Now go."

Katara's fingers trembled a bit as she snuck down the palace hallways, gripping a dagger in one hand and a sword in the other. Zuko helped her sneak in, then split away from her. She was reluctant to let her go, but he assured her he would be in the training dome.

Now it was up to her to find Iroh. She crept down the hallways silently, sneaking into a dark corner when she heard footsteps.

A hand clamped over her mouth.

"Come along now; we've been expecting you."

She struggled to break away, but she was wrapped in chains and forced into a hallway. Azula stood there, her eyes wild and untamed. Something was different; normally, she was collected, albeit sadistic, but still calm. Now, she seemed to have lost control.

"So the little siren couldn't help returning to the scene of her crime where she inflicted great insult among our people," the dark haired girl sneered. "How unfortunate for her; she is going to miss the opportunity to my stupid brother's demise. Tie her to the marble pillar in the throne. Then set it on fire."

The siren fought to break free, making note of how she had weakened. She needed her element. Katara tried to pull loose from the chains, but they seemed to only dig deeper and cut into her flesh. The guard behind her gave a firm tug on the chain, then wrapped it around the pillar.

"Please, do not," Katara whimpered.

She was going to be burned. Alive. The guard did not even look at her; he was ashamed of what he was doing. He began knocking over and throwing lanterns onto the tapestries and ground. He tipped over large barrels of oil onto the ground and into the water.

"Zuko!" she screamed. Katara kept screaming his name over and over until she felt hoarse. He probably couldn't hear her; he was fighting his sister, defending his nation. And she was weak and helpless.

The doors to the throne closing echoed through the room and Katara tried to sink down and avoid the smoke. It was thick and black and made her lungs feel like they too were on fire. The siren banged the back of her head against the column. How stupid was she to think she could stop Azula? She was a fool. If only she had been strong enough.

She watched the fire migrate to the canal cut into the palace, then closed her eyes as the smoke began to sting them.

"Is this the will of the gods?" she shouted in her native language, not caring how foolish she sounded. "Is this the will of my mother the Moon? Your will is to let me die?"

The fire grew.

"What have I done that is worth punishing? I have only served you and your will! If anything, my greatest flaw is serving you blindly! No matter how disgusted I was with myself and my kind, I served you!" Katara looked down and felt the pendant of her mother's necklace against her skin. "What would you have me do?"

A droplet of water landed on Katara's cheek and she looked up, then her eyes darkened. It became clear what she must do.

* * *

_Posted 06/12/2012_


	12. Chapter 11: The Southern Fleet

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

**A/N: **This chapter had to be reposted; for some reason, FFN uploaded the rough draft document and not the appropriate one. I suppose technology can be fallible too. :(

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 11: The Southern Fleet

_"War profits the economy; Peace profits the heart." - Motto of the Eastern Windmountain Monks_

* * *

The rain was heavy and Katara could barely see in front of her; her eyes were dark and her face made no attempt to hide her curse - she needed the strength that came with it. She gritted her teeth as she pulled against the chains binding her to the column. The siren closed her eyes, fighting the resistance until the chains finally gave way and fell to the ground. She dove into the fiery waters of the canal, searching for the entrance to the arena. She knew Zuko would be there.

As she looked up, she saw black smoke raising up around the throne room. Despite the rain, the fire had already seized the brush. How many days had it been since it rained? No matter, the Moon would protect the people so long as Katara executed her will.

She continued swimming trying to reserve her strength and energy as she moved towards the large building in the center. She heard a scream - a man's scream. Was it Zuko? The siren pushed forward, not considering what she would do when she reached the arena.

The clatter of metal rang in her ears as she surfaced, only to see a metal grate impeding her exit. Katara tried to force it up quietly, but it was firmly in place. It would require her strength.

"When did you get mediocre at swordsmanship, Zuzu? I've been so used to dreadful these past few years!" a cold voice sneered.

"Azula, you have to stop!" he shouted. "People are going to die!"

A groan of discomfort. Katara worked faster at forcing the metal grate out of place. Perhaps Azula would be too caught up in her fight to notice. But she was more concerned about Zuko being distracted and his sister taking advantage of the opportunity.

"What do I care about some peasants? They're just pawns. It's the siren's fault Father died, anyway! Their people deserve punishment for this!" She shrieked a bit in pain; an injury?

"If it was their fault, why blame me?"

"I couldn't let you just be the Dragon King; you're not capable of making necessary sacrifices!" Azula spat back, the clatter of metal growing louder.

Finally, the grate loosened and Katara used her strength to push it up, then pulled herself upwards onto the ground. The siblings turned to the clamor and Azula's eyes grew wide.

"You little bitch! You're supposed to be dead!" she shouted, going to run at her. Zuko reached to grab her around the waist, but Azula nimbly circumvented his grasp by moving sideways.

She narrowed her eyes, then threw one of her sai blades at Katara.

"Wait, no!" Zuko shouted, going to move in front of the blade. He fell downward, moving his hand to his chest where it protruded.

Katara let out a piercing scream before everything became hazy. She scrambled towards Azula on her elbows, teeth baring and shouting threats in her native language. Azula narrowed her eyes and began running towards the siren.

Katara let her rage consume her, grabbing the amber eyed woman by her pants leg and jerking her down. Azula fell down hard, groaning in pain then swept her free leg to force the blue eyed woman to release her grip. The siren grabbed her leg with her other hand and pulled her downwards towards the open grate. The young queen swiped at the siren with her sai blade, and Katara released her grip after shouting in pain.

Katara reached upwards again, pulling Azula down and shoving her towards the opening in the floor. The woman slid in, head first, and a heavy thump was heard. She surfaced moments later, face down and Katara contemplated leaving her there.

"I am a siren," she whispered, mostly to herself. "Not a monster."

She pulled Azula out of the water and dragged her as best she could without legs to a set of chains hanging off a pillar in the arena. Then she crawled towards Zuko.

"Zuko," she slapped his cheek a bit, her eyes returning to their normal shade of sapphire. "Look at me."

He grumbled softly, and Katara dragged him to the water with her. Sirens healed from any injury in the water; maybe he would heal from this? No response.

"Zuko!" she shouted, slapping him again.

"I can hear you," he grumbled. "Is Azula...?"

"No, she is alive," she said weakly. "But I do not know how to heal a human."

He chuckled a bit. "It's okay."

"No, it is not. I will go find someone. They can help."

"There's no time," he mumbled. "Thank you, Katara."

Her eyes felt like they were burning. She did exactly what her mother the Moon wanted and still she was too weak to do anything.

"For what?" she asked.

He appeared to be fighting to stay awake, and pressed his lips limply to her cheek. "For reminding me."

Katara let out a sob, pressing her face to his chest as she felt tears roll down her cheeks - the first tears she had cried since her mother's death. Then a bright blue light enveloped her, and she couldn't see.

When it faded, the siren blinked wildly, trying to readjust her eyes to the darkness. Zuko was still in her arms, face pressed to her shoulder. She shifted him, trying to feel his breath. Nothing. She heaved and flopped him on the ground, growing tired of holding him, then pulled herself out.

Her fingers pushed the fabric apart to examine the wound. It was gone, but he wasn't breathing. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

She grew angry and balled up her fist and slammed it on his chest. "You are a damned coward, Zuko." The siren screamed again, hitting him again, over and over until her arm was tired. When she lifted her arm to hit him again, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"Please don't do that again," he grumbled.

* * *

It had been nearly three days since everything had happened.

She hadn't been able to sleep any of those days either. Occasionally, her body would drift into a state of unconsciousness, but it was never sleep. Katara was afraid to dream, afraid to see Yue. Yet she was even more afraid to see Zuko. She hadn't been alone with him since the arena.

Aang had immediately gone to the Boiling Rock to retrieve Iroh. Apparently, he had been sent there for detainment awaiting execution after Zuko and Katara had escaped. The siren felt guilty; such a peaceful man did not deserve that kind of treatment.

She expected to see Toph, but all she received was a note informing Zuko, Aang, and Katara that she had to make an unexpected journey and would return as quickly as possible. The siren wanted to inquire as to the nature of her journey, but decided against it. Who knew the next time Toph could send a reply?

When the young monk returned - kindhearted general in tow - he immediately confessed all of what happened to Katara; the uncensored version compared to what he had told Zuko and the rest of the Dragon Court.

"It felt like I was violating someone's entire being," he explained. "But I guess I was being violated as well."

Besides being the medium between the gods and the mortals, the Avatar would sometimes serve as an anchor for the spirit of a god. Were she or he to be so inclined, a god could take control of the Avatar's body to execute an act. In this case, the Sun assumed control of Aang to strip the trapped spirit from Ozai's body.

"I could feel everything he felt, but it felt so empty. So cold. And the Sun just stripped everything away until there was nothing left except his body." He looked like he wanted to cry. "I never want to feel that way again..

"I won't tell Zuko," she promised.

Zuko had enough troubles. Though Ozai had been handled, Azula never was the same. A part of her was missing, according to Zuko and her friends; she was disturbed and haunted. The princess was quarantined in her quarters awaiting sentencing, and at night, anyone could hear her screams flooding the hallways. The night terrors had lessened, but when her brother would go to visit her, all she would do is ask of her mother. Katara accompanied him once, but was so disgusted by what the moon had done, she never returned.

The siren lied in the grass of the courtyard, staring at the stars. While her heart willed her to stay at Zuko's side, her mind grew weary and she longed to return to the Glacierlands. The Volcanic Islands were not her home...

"Katara," a voice said gently.

The siren sat up, then lept to her feet, wrapping her arms around the woman in a blue dress. "Mom!"

"You're so tall now, and beautiful," her mother murmured in her hair. "The Moon is grateful for what you have done."

"I thought Yue was her image," Katara said, pulling away quickly.

"She is; but I am the image you wanted to see," she explained. "I know you feel betrayed by the gods, by what happened, but you must understand, you were chosen. We chose you to restore nature so the Son of the Dragon can lead the Sun's people down the correct path."

The siren searched her mother's eyes; they were tired, like Yue's. Though the woman had her mother's face, Katara wondered if those eyes were the true eyes of the Moon.

The woman inhaled, as if she was troubled, then pulled Katara down to her face before whispering in her ear. The siren's eyes grew wide, and then she nodded.

"Katara, Katara!" Aang shouted, shaking her. The siren sat up and wiped her face.

"Yes, Aang, what ails you?"

Before he could answer, Katara felt herself being lifted from the wash basin and the air squeezed from her lungs in a tight embrace. "I thought I would never see you again."

"Sokka," she breathed, going to wrap her arms around her brother. "I'm so glad you're okay. But how did you-?"

"Toph; I don't know how she did it, but she found us. She said she had gone to several Glacierland villages searching and asking. Most people laughed at her when they asked if anyone was related to a siren, but Gran Gran told her. Dad and I have been searching for you for months."

"Wait, how did Toph know where to-"

Aang smiled sheepishly. "Your ancestor gave me a little hint," he nodded his head towards the sky.

She hugged him again. "Thank you, Aang. And please tell Toph thank you as well."

Sokka smiled a bit at his sister. "Hey, you speak the common language really well now. I mean, you have a Volcanic Islander accent, but it's not bad once you get past that. A couple weeks with me, and you'll be speaking the common language like a Southern Glacierlandswoman. Anyway, is there a place a guy can get some food? Dad's about to rip this Dragon King Zuko a new one, and I'd prefer to eat before the festivities-"

"Rip him a new one? What?" Katara asked, blinking.

"Oh, yeah. The Glacierlands are all in an uproar - North and South - over what happened. The entire Southern fleet is at his doorstep and the Northerners are on their way. I can't wait to give those entitled pricks a piece of mine and my boomerang's mind." the blue eyed warrior explained casually.

The siren let out an expletive in the common language that had her brother scolding her.

* * *

_Posted: 06/13/2012_


	13. Chapter 12: The Return to Sea

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Ethereal**

Chapter 12: The Return to Sea

* * *

"Kidnapping a sacred and esteemed member of the Glacierlands, violating her in the ways your people have, these are all gross acts of war. You should consider yourself fortunate I was able to talk down the fleet from leaving this entire island in shambles after everything you've done here," a man's voice echoed down the hallways. Katara recognized his voice to be her father's.

"Chief Hakoda, if I may-" Zuko began calmly.

"No, you may not. You will formally apologize to my people for this offense, you will return my daughter to her home, and you will compensate our people for defiling sacred grounds." Hakoda interrupted. "I consider myself to be a reasonable man, and I find war to be the worst thing that could happen to any nation, but I have never been so tempted to walk away from years of truce all to just give your dishonorable family the war it's been itching for."

The siren remained outside the throne room, inhaling and exhaling. They were fighting - over her.

"I beg your pardon? 'The war we've been itching for?' My family has been trying to avoid war for years; you Glacierlandsmen are so sensitive about your traditions. We breathe wrong and it's defying something sacred. Never mind the fact men sail through the oceans where the sirens live, and they - your daughter included - eat sailors. Tear them to shreds. I saw your darling daughter do it with my own eyes!" Zuko snapped back angrily. "And for you to come into my home after the tragedy-"

Hakoda scoffed. "Are you really so naïve to think you're the only one who has suffered? My wife died because of greedy Volcanic Islanders trying to use her, and then she dried out."

"Dried out?"

"That's what happens when a siren stays out of water for too long. They're not screwing around when they say, 'In their blood runs water.'"

Silence.

"Take your siren fish daughter and your fleet and begone. We seek no more troubles from your people, and you can be assured not a single Volcanic Island ship will come near your frozen slab of land for the next century." the prince shouted.

A door slamming echoed through the hallway, and inside, Katara could hear her father sobbing.

* * *

The siren walked outside to the courtyard, seeing the prince in his usual spot at the pond with the turtle ducks. A wave of anger crashed into her as she ran to him and shoved him with no warning into the pond. He fell forward, groaning in pain.

"The hell was that for?"

"'Take your siren fish daughter,'" Katara repeated, mimicking his voice to the best of her ability. "After everything I have done for you. I have saved your life, twice!"

He snorted a bit, wiping a bit of blood from his lip as he stood. "I guess that makes us even, hm?"

She charged at him, pushing him directly into the tree behind the pond. "You truly are the Son of the Dragon; you only look out for yourself. Now you have your throne, your country, and your father and sister are out of your way. All that is left is to marry Mai, and roll around in your riches. But I see you for what you are; alone, pathetic."

"You don't know a damn thing about me," he spat at her. "My father sent me to bring you home after I dishonored him, after I 'failed' him. He burned half my face, then told me to go find a siren. We didn't know you were real - to us, we thought finding a siren was as possible as... growing wings and flying to the moon. It was a fool's errand, I just got lucky. Azula was 'born lucky,' according to my father. I was 'lucky to be born.' In his later years, he probably would have preferred me to just drown when I was three at Ember Island instead of trying to rescue me."

The siren's eyes searched his, still black with anger. "Your father was a terrible human; I pity you for that, but it does not redeem your actions."

"I know it doesn't but," he sighed. "I had my uncle, but now he wants to go to the Earthlands and start a new life, away from politics. And I just thought you would stay, and then your father was here, and..."

Her eyes finally relaxed to a calming blue. "You felt abandoned."

"I _am_ abandoned," he corrected.

"Zuko, I have no wisdom for you. But you must consider what is right for both your heart, and your people," Katara stepped back. "As I must."

"What do you mean?"

She looked at him, her eyes betraying the look of resolve on her face. "I have to return to my home. There is so much my people do not know about themselves; it is not right. They should not be cursed to guard a lie, something they were told out of confusion and misinterpretation.

"The siren's charge has always been to safeguard the fountain of life. But we always assumed it was water; water nourishes, it provides, it gives life and continues it. But the fountain of life is not water, but us. Your father - though twisted in his attempts - understood that. It is why he sought the blood of a siren, and it is why my tears healed you. We should not be confined to roam the seas, enticing men to act badly so we could devour them, but to live - to see. We are not meant to just live for the gods, we are meant to live. It is all the Moon ever wanted for us."

"How can you possibly know all that?" he scoffed. "Did Aang 'talk' to the gods again and relay the message?"

Katara bit her tongue to keep from snapping back in response. "No, She told me herself. She said when the two halves of enemies have become whole, the sirens will be free of their curse. I owe it to them, I owe it to myself, to find this."

He nodded a bit. "Your duty."

"I knew you could understand this," she smiled a bit at him.

"Why can't the gods ever just tell us what they want directly?" he asked, mostly to himself. Katara smiled a bit, looking at the stars.

"Because nothing in life worth having is easy," she responded. "Goodnight, Dragon King Zuko."

He reached out and grabbed her arm. "Katara, wait."

She looked at him expectantly, wondering what he would say. Would he apologize? Would he ask her to not leave?

He leaned in and she turned away. "I cannot let you do that."

"Why?" he sounded pained, rejected.

"The kiss of a siren drives one mad."

Zuko demanded, "What about your father?"

"I suppose he is one of a sound mind and spirit; her kiss only solidified his love for her." She placed her hand gently on his face and he lifted his hand to touch it.

"Then let me solidify what I feel," he pleaded.

She leaned forward and pressed her forehead against his. "I want you to, but I care about you too much to risk it. And if you were to lose yourself, I would never be able to live."

"Do you love me?" he asked quickly.

A flicker of amusement crossed the siren's eyes. "I love you, Zuko, yes. But I am not in love with you. Few sirens ever experience that feeling of emotion. It would require us spending time in a different circumstance for me to reach a level of devotion like that. Do you love me?"

He looked down a bit. "I don't know. Would you give me the chance?"

"You deserve better than a monster who eats someone's heart."

And just like that, she was gone.

* * *

Katara, her brother, and father left early the next morning. Zuko did not see them off, but Iroh did. He kissed Katara's hands and bade that she return very soon to the islands.

"Though I know you may have mixed feelings, I wish you to know that we think the highest of you, Lady Katara. My only regret is we did not meet under more formal and courteous circumstances. I hope you find it in yourself to forgive us for the sins we committed against you," he bowed low.

"I have forgiven you a hundred times over, Lord Iroh. And if it would please you, I would enjoy corresponding with you over the next year. I also ask of you a favor," she said.

He smiled eagerly.

"Hurry up, Sugar Queen!" Toph shouted.

"Just a moment, Toph!" she called back, then handed Iroh an envelope. "I'm afraid my handwriting is poor, but I was able to have the young Avatar help me translate it into your writing. I would appreciate this if you would give this to Zuko when the time is appropriate."

"How will I know?" he asked, taking it.

She smiled at him and whispered in his ear, "It is unsealed."

The siren boarded the ship with her companions, waving at the elderly gentleman and holding her brother's hand. He gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Now that we know you can walk on land, I'm going to teach you how to do penguin sledding," he promised her.

"Actually, could you please teach me to read and write first?" she asked.

He smiled and laughed. "I don't know, you might be a little too old."

"Hey!" she cried out, going to punch him lightly in the arm.

In the back of her mind, her thoughts replayed what she had written. Truthfully, she had been almost too embarrassed to ask for Aang's assistance, but decided that pride should take a backseat to her feelings in this once...

_Zuko,_

_I hope you will forgive my handwriting, it is a bit childish, but I am still learning. Perhaps the next time we correspond, I will have greatly improved and perhaps I will no longer speak with a silly accent that you seem to favor teasing me about. _

_The Moon told me that I can end our curse by bringing two halves of enemies together to make a whole, as I told you the eve of my departure to return home. However, I already know the two halves, and while I owe it to myself to bring them together, you owe it to your people to devote your attention and wisdom to them. Your father is passed, your sister is lost, and you find yourself with a great burden. To ask you to devote your attentions to me at this time is both cruel and selfish - neither are qualities I wish to exemplify. _

_I am also told that Lady Mai was issued a pardon after being locked at the Boiling Rock with your uncle. She acted in the interest of what is right, and betrayed your sister after she began plotting against both you and my people. Your uncle informs me that the Dragon Court seeks a hasty marriage, as they think she would be a wonderful model as your bride. I must admit, I concur. However, I also feel conflicted. _

_While I know that I have no place to ask you for this, but I was hoping you would grace me with a favor. I have been keeping score, and it would seem that we have both saved each other's lives twice, and we both cared for each other once when ill and/or injured. Though this would make us even, I was hoping you would tilt the scales again._

_In one year from my departure, I ask that you come to the Glacierlands. Please, come to the Glacierlands. Come to where everything began. Though it is not where we first met, it is where the sequence of events leading to our encounter began. I will wait for you. _

_Cordially,_

_Katara_

* * *

The siren spent the next few weeks, learning much about her race. She came to learn that there were many things she didn't know, and Sokka dedicated a great amount of time teaching her to write. She studied hard, and after a few weeks, she could read nearly 500 characters and write almost 350. Her father thought it to be the indication of a genius; Sokka considered it a sign of his incredible teaching skills.

The cerulean eyed girl also came to learn to balance her time in and out of the water. When she was in the water, she would teach her sisters how to read and write (mostly things she had learned that day), and about the outside world. The monk would come and see her, too, telling her about the things he had seen while traveling with Toph. He told her about a great library he heard rumors of in the desert, guarded by a god.

"I bet it would have lots of answers about sirens," he suggested.

"I suppose it would." she acknowledged.

Aang pursed his lips. "But I know now isn't a time for you. So Toph and I will wait until you're ready."

"Ready?"

"Break the Sun's curse." he explained.

"Ah, that." she replied absently, pretending to have forgotten.

She didn't forget; it was at the front of her mind everyday. Every moment she returned to the water, or went back to her father's village. Every time she felt transformed between an ethereal creature, and a plagued human, she remembered the curse.

She had been back in the Glacierlands for nearly a week when she received her first letter from Iroh. At first, Sokka had to read her letters and draft the responses. As she continued her studies, she needed him less and less, and would only ask on occasion for help.

His latest letter asked her if she would consider hosting an old man in her home and take her on this "penguin sledding" he had heard so much about from her brother. He also told her things in the Volcanic Islands were as tumultuous, but some stability was returning. More than the economic troubles, however, he was concerned for the well-being of Zuko.

Zuko was not sleeping well, and was bothered by the disappearance of his mother. Iroh asked if Katara could request her traveling companions - no doubt Aang and Toph - to keep their ears open for any information regarding the woman.

The sun had set when Katara began to reply, drinking water to keep hydrated. She planned on returning to the ocean later that evening and visiting her sisters for a few days.

"So this is where you've been hiding out," a deep voice mumbled.

The siren dropped her brush, splattering ink all over the paper and her wrist. She quickly moved to wipe her arm with the cloth to her right. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you."

* * *

_Posted: 06/14/2012_


	14. Epilogue: The Glacierlands Revisited

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything pertaining to it.

* * *

**Ethereal**

Epilogue: The Glacierlands Revisited

_"Should you listen to your heart, you will know the answer of how to break the Sun's curse." - The Moon Spirit to Katara_

* * *

_Winter Solstice, Year 100_

_My grandmother suggested I begin writing to keep a record of my discoveries into the history of sirens. However, I believe I will probably repurpose this journal for my own thoughts and concerns of a more personal matter, hence I am writing it in the ancient language. _

_Let me begin by telling you I didn't believe in love, and even today, I don't think I fully believe in it. I like the idea, but it's still foreign. Of course, sirens aren't known for falling in love. Zuko asks me if I love him, but I always respond by asking if he loves me. I suppose that's our way of admitting we're not ready for that kind of commitment. _

_He ended his betrothal to Mai, or rather, she ended it to him. She was exhausted of him sneaking off in the night, making unplanned trips, excluding her from his life. I could tell it hurt him, but I knew he had hurt her plenty in his ways._

_Zuko likes to say I'm ethereal, that I can't "be controlled," or "explained." But I believe that I lie at the core of everyone of us - I'm the doubt, I'm the free spirit, I'm the part of every person that terrifies us. It's not that I can't be controlled, but I don't want to be controlled. It's not that I can't be explained, it's that I don't want to be explained._

_When he showed up at my brother and father's village, telling me he was looking for me, I told him to leave. Part of me was angry - he wasn't supposed to come until next year. There was still so much that needed to be fixed, there was a lot I needed to learn. And there was plenty more I needed to see. _

_He and I exchange letters occasionally, always very cordial about it as well. I think he's worried about whether or not someone will read his letters to me; he tends to be a bit paranoid. Actually, he's begun learning how to read and write my language. I've yet to hear him speak it, but I look forward to teasing him the way he teases me. _

_Spring Equinox, Year 100_

_Zuko came to Glacierlands again; I could tell he didn't like the cold, but I appreciated his efforts to come to an environment I was more comfortable in. I think he believes I don't trust the Volcanic Islands entirely; truthfully, I don't. But I don't believe he entirely trusts me either. _

_He kissed me as well. At first, I was afraid he would lose control. Most men are driven to insanity from the lust they feel after a siren's kiss. I dreaded the thought of such a thing, so I had fought my own carnal desires for so long. _

_While I had high expectations for what it would feel like when our lips finally met, I regret to inform you that I was ultimately disappointed. It was kind, it was submissive. Almost like a child asking permission. The moment I realized he had kissed me, it was over. _

_The second kiss was a drastic improvement: his lips tasted like cinnamon, and my lips tingled with the warmth that was shared. His hands cupped my face gently, and his fingertips made my frozen skin feel alive. I felt alive, I felt like I did when I was in the water. When he pulled away, he looked in my eyes and I knew I would never want to kiss another pair of lips. _

* * *

Katara hadn't seen Zuko since that night. Part of her worried that for this one and only time, the siren had become obsessed with the man. It had been nearly two months, and though she continued to write him letters, his letters grew fewer in number and briefer in content.

Maybe he would come back - she doubted it. Maybe she could go to him - she didn't want to go to the Volcanic Islands.

She made her way to the edge of the glacier before she begun to strip herself of her heavy clothing. She had been out of the water for a few days, and needed to rehydrate her body. She had just pulled off her parka and boots when a young girl came running to her.

"Katara!" she screamed.

The siren turned, concerned for what could be ailing the child. "What's wrong?"

"A letter, it just came." she said, handing the siren the parchment. It was dark, but the siren was able to make out the writing.

"Child, can you see?"

"Yes, ma'am," she replied to the siren.

"What's this character mean?"

The girl took the parchment and examined it carefully. "Oh, it means, 'enemy.'"

"Thank you," Katara replied, continuing to read. A smile broke out over her face. "Child, go to my father. Tell him to prepare for King Zuko's arrival."

The girl nodded, going to run back and the siren clutched the letter to her gently.

_Enchanting Siren, _

_I know what the two halves of the enemies are. The Moon is right - th ey must be made whole. It has come to my attention I am in possession of one of the halves, and I am going to collect the other. I worry it will not want me to take it at first, it will not want to unite with its other half, but I won't take no for an answer. After we unite the two halves, I will take you to see the world you deserve to see. _

_Ever Yours, _

_Half of an Enemy Waiting to Be Made Whole._

**THE END**

* * *

**A/N: **This story ended up turning a lot different than I ever imagined it would; I can't say if there will be a sequel, mostly because I doubt my own writing abilities.

It ended up being very short, but I think that part of the charm to the story was its brevity. I wanted this to be Katara's story, which is why it was mostly told from her perspective, and I wanted to show a transformation of her from blind faith and selflessness towards the gods to a deep respect and devotion to both the gods and herself.

The end, I really wanted to be ambiguous, because while I believe the events of the story to be compelling, I don't think they were ever enough to make the two fall in love. But I think it was enough to form a strong connection, and I leave it to you - the reader - to decide how things played out after Zuko's letter to Katara.

Thank you all for your reviews, support, and kind words throughout this story - it was plenty of motivation. I look forward to seeing you at my next Zutara works, _Polar Nights_ and _Wild_. _Polar Nights _(which I include the full summary at the bottom of this page) has already begun and I am also working on a LoK fic (that is developing slowly; there are a lot of things I'm not pleased with in terms of character development, so I have to pioneer that on my own). Truthfully, I am excited for both of my new Zutara fics in a way I never was with _Ethereal_, and I believe you all will enjoy reading them as much as I do writing them.

-crystalline talisman

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_**Polar Nights:** _In order to end a long standing war between the Fire Nation and Water Tribe, Prince Zuko is sent to the frigid desert of the South Pole by his cousin Fire Lord Lu Ten, where he is greeted by subzero temperatures, polar nights, igloos, and lots and lots of sea prunes. Of course, it is also when he finds out he's to be wed to the hard headed, spiritual leader Katara. And if that wasn't hard enough, he has to do it all with her overbearing brother leaning over his shoulder. Inspired by the question, "Why does Katara always have to go to Zuko/the Fire Nation in an arranged marriage fic?" AU. Zutara.

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_Posted: 06/14/2012_


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